Becoming Mrs Malfoy
by MrsJaydeMalfoy
Summary: Sequel to Amortentia and the Imperius Curse; picks up exactly where the previous left off.  Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1 Home Again

**Author's Note: Hello again, and welcome to the sequel to my first story ever, Amortentia and the Imperius Curse. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest that you do so before reading this, so that you're able to understand everything that's going on. I hope you enjoy it, and please review!**

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"Jayde."

I hear my name being called quietly in my right ear, and though in my sleepiness I'm unsure of whose voice is speaking, I'm positive that this voice must be what angels sound like when they speak. The voice is deep and very masculine, with a heavy British accent, and each syllable seems to flow from the angel's lips like honey pouring from a jar; soft, steady, and sweet. Caught in that trance-like state between asleep and awake, I'm unsure of where I am, what's going on, or if I'm even awake. I don't answer the angel's deep voice and keep my eyes closed, trying to go back to sleep.

"Jayde, darling", the voice says, a little louder this time.

Instead of completely ignoring the voice, this time I mumble a quiet "Hmm?".

"You've got to wake up, dear, or we'll miss our appointment at St. Mungo's", the voice replies.

"Mmmkay", I mumble in response, still keeping my eyes closed tight.

The angel chuckles in my right ear, his laugh making my heart skip a beat, and he says, "You're so cute when you're sleepy". He gives me a gentle kiss on my cheek and then continues. "Darling, I'm sorry, but you've got to get up now", he says.

"Five more minutes", I reply in my heavy Irish accent, making the angel chuckle again. I feel my mouth curl upwards into a smile at hearing the angel laugh again, and he once again leans down and presses his lips against my cheek.

"Alright, no more playing around", he says seriously, "If you don't get up I'm going to tickle you".

"No" is my only response, but I still make no effort to get out of bed; I'm very tired and extremely comfortable.

As if he's read my thoughts, the angel sympathetically says, "Darling, I know you're tired; you can come home and go straight back to bed after the appointment, but for now you've got to get up".

"But I want to sleep now", I whisper in response.

"Alright, that's it", the angel says playfully, and the next thing I feel is two sets of fingers poking at my hips and the sides of my stomach.

I squeal and giggle, playfully shouting "No!" as I squirm and writhe, trying to escape being tickled. The angel rolls on top of me, taking care not to lie on my stomach, and pins me in place, allowing himself to continue tickling me. Realizing that the angel isn't going to give in and let me sleep, I open my eyes and, still laughing; turn my head towards the sound of his laughter, seeking out his face.

For some reason I no longer notice the tickling and I'm immediately wide awake as I stare up at the angel's familiar face, whitish-blond hair and piercing grey eyes. Coming to consciousness, I suddenly remember everything. My name is Jayde Alyssa Newsome, I'm 17 years old, and I'm a very special kind of Irish witch. I'm a Nimbimagus, which means I can control the weather depending upon my mood. My mother and father are dead, and I was raised in an orphanage. I attended Dunamase Institute of Magical Learning for 6 years before transferring to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in my seventh year. During my last year of school, the Matron of the orphanage I grew up in, who was also like a mother to me, was murdered, so I now live with my fiancé and his parents.

I realize that I'm at home in Wiltshire, England, in bed, with the green silk sheets pulled up closely around me. I also now remember that I'm 23 1/2 weeks pregnant and that the appointment the angel was talking about is my maternity checkup. It takes a moment, however, for my eyes and brain to register that the angel I'd been dreaming of is actually my fiancé; my eyes widen as tears well up in them and my mouth drops open slightly in surprise.

Not missing a beat, my gorgeous fiancé asks me, "What's wrong, love?", with a look of concern on his face. Silent tears start streaming from my eyes and I continue to stare up into his face without answering him. I don't have to answer him though, because he's somehow always been able to read my thoughts, and now is no different. "You'd forgotten you were here, hadn't you?", he asks, "You'd forgotten you'd come home".

I nod my head silently and lean up, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into the tightest of hugs. He pulls me close against him, placing one arm around my waist and the other on the back of my head in response. I sob against the pale skin on his neck; "Shhh, it's okay", he says in my ear in an effort to calm me. My mind races back through all the events of the past week as I sit there sobbing in his embrace.

Last week I went downstairs and overheard my fiancé's Mother telling some of her friends that she and her husband had someone cast a curse on my fiancé and I to make us sleep together and get pregnant. She said they'd done this to ensure that he and I were together, permanently. I'd immediately suspected that my fiancé had something to do with his parents' plan, so I ran away. I spent an entire week at my friend Ginny's house, depressed and confused. Towards the end of the week, someone who knew about the plan that my fiancé's parents had developed came to visit me at my friend's house and ensured me that my fiancé didn't know about the plan all along, and that his parents were forced into it themselves. After finding this out, I returned home yesterday and had a very emotional reunion with my fiancé and his parents.

I'd come home to find that my fiancé was very ill, me leaving had taken its toll on him, but he'd immediately forgiven me, and over the past twenty-four hours our relationship has continued as if I'd never left. And though he's still a little weak and sickly, his demeanor and health have improved greatly since I returned. Finally bringing my mind back to the present and realizing I'm still in my love's arms, I pull myself even closer towards him.

"It's alright, love, I'm here", he continues.

"I'm so sorry!", I sob. He gently pulls away from me and eases me onto my back before taking my face in both of his gentle hands. He stares directly into my eyes, our noses touching, with a very serious expression as he speaks.

"Jayde, darling", he says, "You have NOTHING to be sorry for and I don't want to hear you say it again, do you understand me?". I make to object, but he quickly silences me with a tender kiss on the lips. He whispers against my lips, "You were confused and scared and it wasn't your fault. I can't imagine the hell you went through while you were away, and I don't want you apologizing for something that you didn't do".

"But I caused you so much pain! How can you forgive me so easily?", I ask.

"You didn't cause me pain, my parents did", he replies. Then he wipes the tears from both sides of my face and continues, "Now dry those beautiful eyes that I love so much…or you'll break my heart". I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him close to me again, savoring the feel of his skin against mine, savoring each time his warm breath hits my neck.

"I love you, Draco", I whisper against his neck.

"I love you too, my angel", he responds.

After a moment of silence Draco pulls away from me and stares down into my eyes with confusion and concern clearly written all over his handsome face. "What's on your mind, love?", he asks.

"Nothing", I reply, "I'm just glad to be home". I flash him a smile in the hopes of reassuring him and it works; the confusion on his face quickly turns to happiness.

"I'm glad you're home, too", he says, "But now you've got to get out of bed so we're not late for your appointment!".

"Um…no", I say playfully before bursting out laughing at the mock look of shock that's just spread across his face.

"Well, I didn't want to have to do this", he begins, "But you've left me no choice. If you don't get up now I'll have to torture you into submission".

"Nice try, Draco Malfoy", I say playfully, "But I know you too well…you'd never use the Cruciatus Curse on me".

"Well, you're right about that", he replies, "But I never said _anything _about using the Cruciatus Curse".

My curiosity peaked, I quickly ask, "So then how are you planning on torturing me?".

As soon as the last word of that question leaves my mouth, Draco provides me with the answer. He leans down from his position atop me and gently presses both my arms further down onto the mattress, pinning me in place. Then he firmly but gently lowers his head towards mine and presses his lips to mine tenderly, taking me by complete surprise; I close my eyes and begin to participate in the kiss immediately. When his tongue lightly brushes my bottom lip a few moments later, I instantly open my mouth to allow him entrance before sliding my own tongue into his mouth and exploring every inch of it. A moment later, however, three sharp raps on our bedroom door interrupt our short-lived make-out session.

"Draco!", I hear his mother call from outside the bedroom door, "Is Jayde awake yet?".

"Yes, Mum", Draco calls back in response.

"Well the two of you need to get downstairs. You both need to eat your breakfast before it gets cold, and do it quickly so you're not late for your appointment".

"Ok!", Draco replies, rolling his eyes.

"Ugghh…do I _have _to get up?", I ask him quietly.

"Yes, I'm afraid so, love", he replies while looking down into my eyes longingly. And then, without another word he quickly gets to his feet before pulling the blankets off me and scooping me up into his arms. Both of us laughing, he carries me to across the white-carpeted bedroom floor to the door and he rests half of my weight against his hips as he frees one hand, which he uses to open the door. His mother is still standing there when the door opens, and she smiles from ear to ear when she sees us before turning and walking down the hallway. Placing his other hand back underneath me for support, Draco carries me down the hall and down the two flights of stairs to the dining room, where breakfast is already waiting for us.

He sits me in my usual chair beside his at the massive oak table and gives me a light kiss on the cheek before sitting down himself, and as I turn to face my plate I gasp as my feet touch the cold, white marble floor for the first time. Draco and I immediately begin devouring our eggs, bacon and toast while Narcissa sits across the table as a silent reminder that we've got to hurry up. Draco and I eat as quickly as possible, and after breakfast Draco actually allows me to walk up to our bedroom and I quickly grab an outfit and my toiletries before hurrying into the bathroom for a shower. I breathe a sigh of relief as I bathe, a last final celebration of being home; in my room, in my enormous shower, and with my love. I get out of the shower, dress, and use my wand to quickly dry my hair, and then I throw my towel and dirty pajamas in the hamper for the maids to wash later.

I rush out of the bathroom and quickly sit at the vanity, where I busy myself with donning my makeup and jewelry. Draco quickly has a shower while I finish getting ready, and I hear the water turn off just as I stand up to admire myself in the vanity mirror. I start at my head, admiring my straight, shoulder-length ebony hair, before glancing down across my pale, bare neck. Next my gaze shifts to my torso, covered by a black shirt with quarter-length sleeves that rises with the swell of my now-growing breasts and the size of my growing baby bump. I turn to my right and admire myself from the side, glancing down at my jean-covered legs before looking back up and resting my eyes and hands on my belly. I stand there staring down at my belly for a moment before hearing the bathroom door open.

When I turn to look at Draco, however, my heart starts beating rapidly as his muscular, shirtless form makes its way across the bedroom and over to the closet. He grabs a white button-up shirt from the rack and I watch as he turns around and slips his arms into it. Just as he makes to fasten the first button he glances up at me and catches me staring. He blushes slightly, saying, "I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean to startle you; I just forgot to grab a shirt before I went in there". When I don't answer him but continue to stare dumbly he smiles before looking down slightly and laughing. Amazed by the sexy sight of his chest that I haven't seen very often or recently, I continue to stare as though in some sort of trance until he looks back up at me, deliberately smoldering at me through those beautiful grey eyes. "Do you see something you like, Mrs. Malfoy?", he asks.

I'm shocked but pleased by his first reference to me as "Mrs. Malfoy", even though that's not officially my name yet, but more so I'm embarrassed by his question. I blush and look away from him, but before I know it Draco's crossed the room, with his shirt still unbuttoned, I might add, and come to stand behind me. He places his hands on my shoulder gently and turns me around to face him. "Don't be embarrassed", he says, "And don't look away". He reaches down and takes both of my hands in his own, pressing my right hand against his rock-hard, godlike abdomen and kissing my open left palm tenderly before placing my left hand on his right cheek. "You don't have to look away", he repeats, "And you don't have to be embarrassed; all of this is yours, Mrs. Malfoy. That's going to be your name soon, you know. Do you like it?".

"Of course I do", I say quietly while smiling up at him. He leans down and wraps his arms around me, and I fling my arms around his neck as he inches his face closer to mine and presses his lips against mine tenderly.

Not even two seconds later, however, Narcissa interrupts again; "Draco, Jayde!", she calls, "You've got to hurry up! We should've been there by now!".

Annoyed, Draco pulls away from me and rolls his eyes before calling back to his mother, "We're coming! We'll use the Floo network; it'll only take a second!".

"Well come on then!", she replies frantically from behind the closed door.

Draco lets out a loud huff as he begins fastening the buttons on his shirt and I rush to the closet to get his shoes. Once he's donned his black dress shoes and socks he places his hand on my back, gives me a quick peck on the cheek, and then guides me from our room and down to the first floor, to the large marble fireplace in the entrance hall. When she sees us coming, Narcissa says "Peacocks", which I assume is the password to access the Floo Network from inside Malfoy Manor, and she throws a silvery powder into the fireplace which causes the fire inside it to turn green. Then Narcissa steps into the fire and says, "St. Mungo's Maternity Ward" before disappearing in an eruption of green flames.

Amazed by this first time I've seen the Floo Network used, I stare at the now empty fireplace with widened eyes. As we near the fireplace, Draco removes his hand from my back and walks over to a large pot near the fireplace, filled with the same silvery powder I just saw Narcissa use. Draco tells me to extend my hand and I immediately obey, and he fills my palm with the mysterious powder. "Go ahead, darling", he says, "I'll follow you and make sure nobody can Floo to the house while we're gone". Draco tries to usher me closer to the fireplace as he says this, but I stop dead in my tracks instead of even attempting to mimic Narcissa's actions.

I simply stand there staring at the fire teary-eyed and terrified; I don't want to admit that I've never used the Floo Network before because I think I'll look like a complete idiot, but I don't want to step into the flames and be burned alive either. Draco immediately turns to face me and places his hands on my face; "What's wrong, love?", he asks with his pale blonde eyebrows furrowed. I don't answer him and can't even look into his eyes out of sheer embarrassment; I stare at a spot on the floor to my left. Draco places a gentle finger underneath my chin and turns my face upwards towards him, and he stares down into my eyes worriedly. "You've never used the Floo Network, have you?", he asks a moment later.

I shake my head in response, glad to have that off my chest but still a little unsure of how Draco always seems to read my thoughts. Draco smiles down at me and pulls me close; "It's alright, love", he says quietly, "I'll show you how". So Draco proceeds to teach me how to use the Floo Network. He says that I'll have to throw the silvery powder he gave me into the flame, step into the fire and say, "St. Mungo's Maternity Ward" very clearly. He asks if I'd rather just apparate, but I know that would take longer and I don't want to seem like a coward, so I quickly tell him I'll be fine and throw my powder into the flaming fireplace. I step into the now-emerald green flames and am surprised to find that instead of burning me, they tickle.

Very loudly and clearly I say, "St. Mungo's Maternity Ward", and I immediately begin to feel like a top being spun out of control. The lights from several rooms flash before my eyes through their fireplaces, and I start to feel very dizzy and sick to my stomach. When the spinning finally stops I find myself inside another large marble fireplace and immediately recognize the room before me as the reception area of the maternity ward at the wizards' hospital; I've done it! So why do I feel so horrible?

Narcissa, who is standing directly in front of me, extends a hand and helps me out of the fireplace, and she doesn't realize something's wrong until I nearly fall when she releases my hand. "Oh my goodness, Jayde, are you alright?", she asks. She places an arm around my waist and supports me, keeping me from falling face-flat onto the floor. She frantically calls for a Healer but none answer, and moments later I hear Draco arrive in the fireplace.

I hear his frantic voice call my name and I hear the sound of his shoes beating on the marble floor as he rushes to my side, placing my arm around his shoulder and grabbing my legs, sweeping me up into his arms. He carries me over to the nearest waiting bench and sits me down, coming to rest on his knees directly in front of me. Narcissa comes to sit beside me on the bench and Draco places his hands on my face; "What's wrong? Baby, what's wrong?", he asks frantically. Though I want to answer him I can barely even see him with all the swimming that's going on in my head; I imagine I probably look like someone who's had a bit too much firewhiskey right now, swaying back and forth with a distant look in my eyes, looking at everything but seeing nothing.

And then I feel disgusting bile making its way up from my stomach to my throat, and I just manage to say, "Gonna throw up!", before the bile makes its way from my mouth. Draco saw it coming, however, and has a bucket directly in front of me, which I quickly expel my breakfast into. He and Narcissa both rub my back and try to soothe me as I vomit, and the healers, who apparently didn't take Narcissa's call for help very seriously at first, now come rushing to my side at the sound of my hurling in the reception area.

When I finish vomiting several of the Medi-witches offer me tissue to wipe my mouth with, and Draco thanks them all before taking one of the tissues and wiping my mouth for me. When he's finished he throws the tissue into the bucket he's just conjured and then banishes all the items with his wand. As he does so, I realize that the Medi-witch standing closest to me is in fact _my _Medi-witch, the one who I'm scheduled to see today, Mrs. Taylor. She quickly kneels down beside Draco and asks how I'm feeling.

"Ok", I reply with my hands resting on my stomach.

"And what happened?", she asks, but I don't get a chance to answer because Draco does it for me.

"That was her first time using the Floo Network", he says before pulling me into a hug. "I'm sorry, dear", he says to me, "I didn't know it would make you sick…we should've just apparated".

"Oh, I'm sure it's alright", Mrs. Taylor says, "It just sounds like a case of pregnancy motion sickness to me, but I'll check once we get into the examination room". Then she gets back to her feet and says, "Now come along, you three, it's time for your appointment" to Draco, Narcissa, and I.

So Narcissa slowly rises from her seat on the bench beside me and begins making her way over to where Mrs. Taylor is now standing beside one of the examination room doors. As she does so, Draco gets to his feet and then extends his arm, carefully helping me to my feet. My stomach still churning from my recent vomiting session, Draco slowly guides me through all the Medi-witches who are still watching curiously over to where the two women stand waiting for us, and then Mrs. Taylor opens the door, allowing Draco and I to pass through first. Draco walks me over to the examination table and helps me up onto it before taking a seat in the small wooden chair to my immediate right. "Very well", Mrs. Taylor says as she walks into the room behind Narcissa, "Let's get started".


	2. Chapter 2 Appointments and Plans

**Author's Note: Here's chapter 2! Before it begins I'd like to thank everyone who has already ready read, favorited, reviewed, and received alerts for this story. The turnout was phenomenal and very flattering; my inbox has constantly been full of alerts! I'm humbled; I could never express to you all how much it means to me that you loved the first story enough that you automatically started following this one once it was up. Thank you SO much! This chapter is mostly a filler, but I hope you enjoy it reguardless! **

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Mrs. Taylor closes the door behind her and walks over to her normal position just to my left, beside the examination table. I lean back and when she tells me to lift my shirt I shyly and silently do so, pulling the black cotton up to the area just below my bra and revealing my ivory bulge. I still feel somewhat sick from my recent experience with the Floo Network, but Mrs. Taylor immediately raises her wand and begins performing all her usual spells that make sure the baby's okay, muttering incantations as she does so.

I glance down at my stomach as she does so, relieved when there's no change; normally there's only a problem when my stomach turns red after Mrs. Taylor performs one of her spells, when there's no change to my stomach Mrs. Taylor usually tells me that everything's okay. After Mrs. Taylor's performed her usual checkup, she performs one last, final spell that allows us to see the baby. As soon as she's finished the incantation, a thin, grey, smoke-like substance begins to rise from my baby bump. It twists and turns in the air, slowly forming the image of the child within me and causing me to immediately forget every feeling of discomfort, nausea and nervousness I'd had only a few moments ago.

As it's been four weeks since my last appointment, the baby's done quite a bit of growing, and Draco, Narcissa and I gasp and look up with misty eyes at the smoky image before us. The baby is curled up into a small little ball, with its tiny arms raised near its head. Draco takes my hand and I turn to look at him, both of us smiling enormously and trying to fight back tears. We glance back up at the baby, cooing over each finger and toe, until Mrs. Taylor removes her spell and the smoky image before us fades.

"Now", Mrs. Taylor begins, "The baby is doing well; everything looks great".

Draco and I again turn and smile at each other before Draco leans across the bed and kisses me lightly on the cheek, but Mrs. Taylor quickly interrupts.

"It's MOTHER, however", she says loudly, "Is the one I'm concerned about".

Both mine and Draco's eyebrows furrow when she says this, and we quickly turn our heads back towards the left of the room, where Mrs. Taylor is standing.

"Jayde, you're not getting enough rest", Mrs. Taylor says sternly while staring down at me, "And no spell had to tell me that, I can tell just by looking at you. You need to make sure you're getting a full night's rest _every night!_ No exceptions! Do I make myself clear?".

"Yes, Ma'am", Draco and I say quietly in unison.

"Good. Now then", she continues, "Have you been feeling the baby move at all?".

"Yes Ma'am", I reply, "There are times when it won't be still".

"Good", she replies, "If you ever stop feeling the baby move you should come back here, whether you have an appointment or not". I nod my head in agreement with what she's said, and then she continues. "Now then, your next appointment will be in 4 weeks, but after that, I'll want to see you every 2 weeks, just to make sure everything's going well as we draw nearer to the big day. And for now, you can still expect your little one on the 7th of November".

"Ok", I reply, nodding my head.

"Very well, then", Mrs. Taylor says, "You're free to go, but remember what I said about getting plenty of rest, and I'll see you all back here in 4 weeks". And without another word, Mrs. Taylor walks from the room, leaving the large wooden door ajar, and I slide my shirt back over my still-exposed belly.

Draco and Narcissa get to their feet and then Draco helps me off the examination table and onto mine. As the three of us walk back into the crowded reception area, Narcissa says, "So I suppose you don't want to Floo back to the manor, Jayde", matter-of-factly.

"Um…no, not at all!", I reply, causing both Narcissa and Draco to laugh.

We continue walking, Draco and I both drunk with happiness at the news that our baby is doing well. When we reach a less crowded spot in the reception area, Draco extends his arm for me and the familiar "walls closing in on me" sensation begins as soon as I take his arm. We apparate to the wrought-iron gates just outside Malfoy Manor and begin walking towards them arm-in-arm as soon as we arrive. When we reach the gates, Draco whispers the password, "Peacocks", and a moment later the both of us pass through the gates as though they're made of smoke, with Narcissa hot on our heels. Draco opens the large wooden door once we've walked up the steps, and he holds it ajar while his mother and I step inside before following us into the enormous, marble-floored entrance hall.

"Come on, love", he says once he's closed the door, "You can go back to sleep now…at least until time for lunch".

"Actually", I reply, "I'm sure your Mum could use some help planning the baby shower; it's coming up soon".

"Actually, Jayde", Narcissa interrupts, "I've sort of already been making plans for the shower. I hope you don't mind; I want to do it all myself as a surprise for you".

"Oh…um…okay", I reply, a little shocked by this piece of news. "Well, maybe we should work on planning the wedding, then", I continue, to which Narcissa quickly replies that she thinks this is a wonderful idea. So Draco and I go into the Drawing Room and make ourselves comfortable on the sofa while Narcissa hurries upstairs to her room to get the catalogs she and I collected from the stores in Diagon Alley to help us with planning the wedding.

Narcissa takes a seat across the room from us when she returns and takes out a quill and piece of parchment. "Now then", she says, "Draco, you've decided that Crabbe, Goyle, and Zabini will be your groomsmen and your Father will be your best man. Have you informed them of your decision?".

"I'm not sure I still want those three to be in my wedding", Draco replies, "After what they did…". His voice trails off and I immediately understand what he's talking about; he's referring to the fact that Crabbe, Goyle, and Zabini all knew about and were involved in his parents' plan, which caused me to leave last week. I, however, harbor them no ill will; I know they only thought they were helping, and I believe that everything that happened was for the best.

"Draco, darling", I say, "You shouldn't be mad at them; they were just trying to help".

"How can you say that?", he asks, "After what they did to you?".

"Because we might never have been together if they hadn't done what they did…and I can't imagine my life without you in it".

I see understanding and acceptance dawn on Draco's face, and Draco then turns to his Mother and nods his head in agreement, indicating that he _has _informed all of his attendants of their roles. His mother quickly continues. "Now Jayde", she says, "You've chosen Mrs. McGreggor as your Matron of Honor and have informed her of your decision. I know you want Granger and Weasley to be two of your bridesmaids, who will be the third?". I don't like the way Narcissa refers to two of my best friends by their last name, but it doesn't surprise me; she was less than thrilled when I told her I wanted the two of them in my wedding, but she couldn't complain at the time because I'd just returned home. I have no second thoughts, however, about choosing the two of them, nor Mrs. McGreggor, the headmistress of the first wizarding school I attended, to be my participants.

"I really have no idea about the last one", I answer honestly. I seriously consider giving in and allowing Draco's cousin to be my bridesmaid as Narcissa's suggested before, but Draco quickly steps in and saves the day.

"You're friendly with Marie", he suggests from his position beside me with an arm around me, "Why don't you ask her?".

"Darling, that's a great idea!", I reply, wrapping my arms around his neck and giving him a kiss on the cheek, thrilled by the idea of asking Marie Brown, another expecting mother I met at parenting and birthing class, to be my third and final bridesmaid.

"Hm..I should come up with good ideas more often!", he replies playfully. "And we still haven't had them over for dinner like we promised", he continues, "Maybe we could have them over tomorrow. That'd be the perfect opportunity for you to ask her…I'll invite them over when I see Allen tomorrow when I go back to work".

"That sounds great!", I reply enthusiastically, "But perhaps you should ask your Mum if she feels up to having house guests tomorrow".

"Of course!", Narcissa replies before Draco even has a chance to ask her, "What shall I have the maids prepare?".

"We don't have to have the maids cook; I could cook something", I reply. At this Draco and Narcissa both stare at me as though I'm insane; like they're horrified by the fact that I even offered to cook. "What?", I ask while looking at Draco curiously, "Why are you looking at me like that? I can cook!".

"I know dear, it's not that", Draco replies, "You learned how to cook at the orphanage purely out of necessity. But here, you don't have to cook, or clean, or do anything you don't want to; you have no chores here. Your place is not in the kitchen; I don't want you worrying your beautiful head over anything…that's what maids and house elves are for".

"Well then what am I supposed to do with myself all day while you're at work?", I ask, "Before I left I was just sitting here all day while you were at work and you know how bored of that I got! I refuse to go back to that; I need something to do. And besides, hard work isn't beneath me or anything; there's nothing wrong with me helping out in the kitchen".

As I speak I can't help but think that Draco and I should have discussed this a long time ago. "Have fun!", Draco replies, "Go shopping, work on the wedding plans, you know…girl stuff!".

"And _after_ the wedding?", I ask.

"By then the baby will be here and trust me, it'll take up most of your day", Narcissa interrupts.

I open my mouth to argue, but Draco stops me. "So have we decided on a location for the wedding?", he asks. I can tell he's trying to use this question as a distraction, but I have no intentions of letting him do so. Narcissa, however, has other plans.

"I was thinking we could have it in the back yard", she replies, "We'll have the grounds well manicured; it would be absolutely beautiful". Surprisingly, I find this idea agreeable, but Draco quickly finds a flaw with it.

"Mum, it's in February", he reminds her, "It'll be freezing!".

"We could have it inside a heated tent", Narcissa replies, "Or better yet, your Father and I could have a building built just for the wedding". Draco considers this for a moment, then turns to me.

"What do you think, dear?", he asks.

"We wouldn't have to have a heated tent or building," I reply, "I could make sure the weather's agreeable that day."

"Are you sure you'll be feeling up to that, Jayde?" Narcissa asks, "After all; your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. It's bound to be stressful trying to keep the weather under control with everything else that will be going on."

"I think I could handle it," I reply before turning to Draco. "Don't you think so, dear?" I ask.

Draco rubs my arm as he quietly says, "Of course dear, that's perfect; we'll have it here". He gives me a quick smile and I glance across the room at Narcissa, who is positively beaming.

"Wonderful", Narcissa replies.

"Wait a moment," I say quickly, "Don't we need to decide who will be officiating?"

"One of the Minister's Ceremony Officials performs all wizard weddings", Draco replies, "I'll tell him tomorrow that we'll need him on February 14th. What day of the week is that?".

"It's a Monday next year", Narcissa replies. "It will have to be held late in the afternoon since everyone will have to work that day, perhaps around 6 p.m. Does that sound okay to you, Jayde?" she asks. I nod my head in agreement and Narcissa begins writing down all the details we've decided on excitedly. "Now then", she continues, "You'll need a ring bearer and flower girl. Jayde, unless you can think of anyone else, Draco's cousins could do it".

"I can't think of anyone", I reply, "Damon and Diane would be perfect".

"Ok then", she continues, "The colors will be dark purple and mint green, so we have some idea of what colors the dresses and tuxedos will need to be". As she says this, she walks across the room and flops down beside me on the sofa, opening one of the catalogs in her hand and passing it to me. I begin to look at the witches and wizards modeling the items, turning around in their pictures, and I turn the pages slowly, allowing both Narcissa and Draco, who have both moved closer to me, to see the pictures also.

Narcissa "oohs" and "aahs" over nearly every picture, but I truthfully don't like any of the dresses she points out, so I simply say, "That's nice", and keep looking. When I turn to page 3, however, Narcissa practically squeals in delight and points to a picture in the middle of the page. The picture is one of a shiny silver crown, completely covered with diamonds. Each diamond glitters and shines, making the light reflect off of it in a rainbow of colors. The crown looks like something a princess would wear, and I gasp and gaze longingly at it along with Narcissa. "It's so beautiful!", I say quietly;

"It is!", Narcissa exclaims in response.

"You like that, dear?", Draco asks conspicuously.

"Yes!", I reply.

"Well then I'll get it for you, and you can wear it on our wedding day", he says.

"Oh, no!", I reply, "I'd look pompous and ridiculous in that; I'm no princess".

"You may not be a princess", he says, "But you're the Queen of my heart".

"Aww, that's so sweet!", Narcissa replies; I simply smile at Draco and give him a light kiss on the cheek in response.

"Come on, love", he says, "Let me get the crown for you; I know it'll look lovely on you".

"Really?", I ask timidly, gazing into his eyes as I do so, to which he nods his head in response. I seriously consider telling him yes as I look back down at the picture, but when I see the enormous price listed underneath it, I quickly change my mind. "No, dear", I reply, "It costs way too much".

"Jayde, darling", Narcissa replies as she pats me on my left leg, "You're a _Malfoy _now! Money is no object! You should let Draco spoil you a little if he wants to".

"Exactly", Draco chimes in, "I'd buy you the whole world if you wanted it; no price is too steep when it comes to you".

I blush and smile when Draco says this before speaking. "I know that, love", I say quietly, "And I like the crown, but I think it'd look silly at a wedding; I honestly _don't _want it". Draco raises his eyebrows and gives me a questioning look that clearly says he doesn't believe me, but I nod my head and smile at him in reassurance.

"Alright then", he says, smiling as he rubs my right arm, "I'll leave you alone about it".

"Thank you", I reply quietly.

"Now then", Narcissa says loudly, "Do you see any dresses you like so far, Jayde?".

"Not really", I reply truthfully, "Maybe we can go to Diagon Alley one day this week to look at more".

"Okay then", Narcissa replies, and she closes the catalog we'd been looking at before getting to her feet. "I'm going to see that the maids get started on lunch then", she replies before marching out of the room without another word.

"She isn't angry at me, is she?", I ask Draco quietly.

"No", he says, "She just doesn't like it when things don't go her way. Especially when she's trying to plan a party…she wants our wedding to be the social event of the century".

"Oh…well I don't mean to disappoint her", I whisper.

"I know dear", Draco replies, "And you aren't. This is _our _wedding and it's going to be the way _we _want it..Mum will come around, you'll see".

"I hope so", I say with a heavy sigh, "Because planning this wedding is already stressful enough without her being upset at me".


	3. Chapter 3 Back to Work

Draco and I continue to sit in the Drawing Room talking and holding each other while the maids prepare lunch, and Narcissa comes back into the Drawing Room to tell us lunch is ready around noon. Draco and I leave the Drawing Room and cross the Entrance Hall before going into the Dining Room and having lunch with Narcissa, after which the sleepiness I'd been feeling when Draco tried to wake me up this morning quickly catches up with me. When Draco sees me yawn while we're still sitting at the table talking to Narcissa, he immediately insists that I go up to our room and get some rest.

Too tired to argue, I stand and slowly make my way to the Entrance Hall, up two flights of stairs and down the third floor corridor to our bedroom with Draco following closely behind me. When we reach our room I walk over to the huge sleigh bed and flop down on the green silk sheets, not even bothering to stop long enough to take my shoes off as I do so. I bury my head in my pillow and yawn into it, immediately beginning to feel myself falling asleep. I hear Draco chuckle from the end of the bed and then feel him lift each of my feet, removing my shoes and casting them down onto the white-carpeted floor. After that he walks over to his side of the bed and eases himself down beside me; I snuggle up close to him and rest my head against his chest as he wraps his arms around me, and I fall asleep almost immediately.

I must have been a lot more tired than I thought I was, because I don't wake up until I feel Draco gently shaking me, telling me dinner's ready. I blink twice and open my eyes, looking around at the dimly lit room a bit dazed and confused in my sleepiness. "You alright, love?", Draco asks me quietly. I turn my head towards him and gaze into his eyes, nodding my head in response.

"I just don't feel very well", I reply.

"I'm sorry", he replies, kissing me on the forehead, "Perhaps if you eat something you'll feel better".

"You're probably right", I reply, and I slowly sling my feet over the side of the bed and sit up. I ease myself onto my feet and cross the room to join Draco, who's waiting patiently at the door for me. Together, we walk downstairs to join Lucius and Narcissa for dinner.

As we eat, Lucius talks to Draco about work, while Narcissa and I make plans for our dinner with Marie and Allen Brown tomorrow night. Narcissa insists on going to Diagon Alley in the morning and buying all new curtains and drapes, even though I insist to her that she's crazy because there's nothing wrong with the curtains that are already hanging; in fact, they look like they're brand new, themselves. Narcissa says she'll have the maids give the Manor a "Proper Cleaning" in the morning, which again confuses me because Malfoy Manor is always spotless. Narcissa goes on and on about all the preparations she's going to make, like how she'll have dinner served on her finest china, and I start to realize that what Draco said earlier was completely accurate; his Mum _loves _to throw an extravagant party. I personally think we'll all look like a bunch of spoiled, rich brats to Marie and Allen, but I keep this particular opinion to myself since, after all, it_ is _Narcissa's house.

Immediately after dinner, all four of us retire to the Drawing Room once again, where Lucius and Draco indulge in a few games of Wizard's Chess which Narcissa and I observe, and after the last game Lucius and Narcissa head straight off to bed. Draco and I stay up for another few hours, however, having already had quite a bit of sleep this afternoon. Draco continues showing me how to play Wizard's chess during that time, but I eventually forfeit and stand up, walking around the chess board and taking a seat in Draco's lap. I wrap my arms around his neck and curl up against him, resting my head on his shoulder. Though I'm not at all tired, I close my eyes and take everything in, enjoying this simple but wonderful moment with him.

"You don't want to play anymore, dear?", Draco asks as he wraps his arms around my waist, holding me in place; I shake my head in response. "Are you ready for bed, then?", he asks, to which I once again shake my head against his neck in response. "What do you want to do then?", he asks with a chuckle.

"Let's talk about baby names", I reply, my lips lightly brushing the skin of his neck as I speak.

"Okay", he says, "But you're going to have to stop breathing against my neck like that or I won't be able to concentrate".

"Why? What do you mean?", I ask, leaning back to look into his eyes.

Instead of responding, Draco places one of his hands on the back of my neck and gently pulls me towards him. He rests his head against my neck and rests his lips against my skin, allowing his warm breath to blow against my neck when he exhales. His breath against my neck is a very sensual feeling; it gives me goose bumps all over my body. Then, to make matters worse, Draco speaks against my neck as I'd done against his, allowing his lips to lightly graze my already goose bump-covered skin. "Do you see what I mean?", he asks seductively.

I'm not sure whether it's the sound of Draco's smooth voice in my ear or the fact that his lips are grazing my neck as he speaks, but between the two, a chill runs down my spine, my goose bumps growing even larger. Embarrassed, among other things, I quickly jump up out of Draco's lap, saying, "Ok, ok! I know what you meant now!" from across the room. Draco starts laughing uncontrollably, nearly bending over double in laughter, but I don't find it a bit funny. When Draco realizes this he tries to control his laughter and extends his arm, summoning me back over to him. "Come on, love", he says lightheartedly, "I'm sorry. It was just the look on your face…it was hilarious!". I try to make an angry face at him, but it doesn't work; I truly believe his smile alone could melt all the snow at the South Pole, and it makes my heart race to see him smiling.

I walk back over to Draco and sit in his lap again, taking care not to breathe on his neck, and he wraps his arms around me and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Now then…baby names", he says, "Let's try to focus on only one sex for now. Have you thought of any names for a boy?".

"Well, I've thought of one", I say quietly.

"And what's that, love?", he asks. "I think we should name him Draco, after his father…if it's a 'he'", I reply immediately, looking up into his eyes.

"Um…darling", Draco begins uncomfortably, "I really don't want him named after me… if it's a boy, that is; I don't want all my indiscretions being passed on to our son".

"But I love it!", I reply, "And you don't have any indiscretions".

"Ok, we'll compromise", Draco says, "We can let that be his middle name, but not his first name. Is that a deal?". I contemplate his offer for a moment before deciding that it's fair enough and better than nothing, and quickly agree. "Ok, so what about a first name?", he asks. I think for a moment, and though I've found several names that I like in the baby names book Draco bought in Diagon Alley, none of them come to mind.

"I can't think of any", I say quietly, "Are there any you like?".

"None that I can think of at the moment", he replies.

"Ok…well so much for talking about baby names", I say matter-of-factly. Draco chuckles and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"Come on love", he says, "Let's get to bed". So I stand up and wait while Draco does the same, and I take his hand as the two of us walk towards the first flight of stairs up to our room.

When we reach the room I step into the closet and change into my pajamas before walking to the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I reach the bathroom I discover that Draco is already brushing his teeth, so I turn to walk out of the bathroom and wait my turn, but he stops me. "'Ome on, lub", he says with a mouth full of toothpaste, "Air's too sinks".

"Um…what?", I ask, laughing hysterically at his attempt at speaking with a full mouth, "Were there any words in that?".

Draco starts laughing, which causes toothpaste to spill out of his mouth and into the sink, and he quickly spits the rest of it out before trying to talk again. "I said, 'come on love, there's two sinks'", he says, much more clearly this time, "You might as well get used to brushing your teeth in front of me…it's not like it's really private or anything. And don't worry, I won't pick on you; I told you, you don't have to be embarrassed in front of me".

I nod my head in response and walk over to the unoccupied sink and wet my toothbrush before applying a generous amount of toothpaste to it. Then I self-consciously put my toothbrush in my mouth and begin scrubbing my teeth. Draco continues scrubbing his, also, and I keep glancing over at him. He's apparently not a bit uncomfortable about this and is paying more attention to his own teeth, however; he doesn't even glance my way, so I look back at the mirror in front of me and continue brushing my teeth. Draco and I stand there for a moment brushing our teeth in silence, the only noise is the sound of us brushing our teeth which becomes either more quiet or loud if one of us opens or closes our mouth. Draco finishes before I do and places his toothbrush back in the cup on the counter before giving me a kiss on the cheek and walking back into the bedroom.

When I've finished brushing and rinsing my teeth I also place my toothbrush back into the cup and walk back into the bedroom. Draco's still in the closet changing into his pajamas when I enter the bedroom, so I walk swiftly over to the bed and flop down on it. Draco comes to bed a moment later in a pair of grey and black plaid cotton pajama pants, once again shirtless. I can't help but stare at him as he pulls back the covers on his side of the bed and lays down beside me, and when he's completely settled in I slide closer to him and rest my head on his bare chest. "Goodnight, beautiful", he says, giving me a kiss on the forehead, "I love you".

"I love you, too, Draco", I reply, closing my eyes and breathing in his intoxicating scent as I cherish the cool touch of the smooth bare skin of his chest.

Draco then places his hand on my stomach and says, "And I love you, too, little bean". I giggle at the use of the nickname he chose for the baby, and he leaves his hand on my stomach as we fall asleep.

I wake up early the next morning when I feel Draco move away from me, sliding out of bed so he can get ready for work. Though he took care not to wake me, I'm now wide awake and sit up, watching as Draco rushes back and forth between the bathroom and the closet. Draco, in his haste, hasn't even realized that I'm awake now, and I hear him mumble, "Stupid bloody shoes" as he walks past the bed for what seems like the fifteenth time.

Shaking my head in silent laughter, I reach over to the wooden bedside nightstand and grab my wand, flick it in the air and say, "Accio shoes" quietly, hoping that Draco won't hear me. The black dress shoes come flying up from underneath our bed and land on my lap, on top of the sheets. The next time Draco passes the bed on his way back to the closet, I clear my throat loudly in the hopes of getting his attention. Completely lost in thought, however, Draco hasn't heard a thing. "Draco!", I say loudly, causing him to step out of the closet slightly and look at me.

"I'm sorry, love", he says, "I didn't mean to wake you; I can't find my shoes". I reach forward and pick up both of his shoes by the heel with my wand-free hand and dangle them before me as though they're an ornament hanging from a Christmas tree. "Oh", Draco says, the look on his face a mixture between relief and embarrassment. He walks over to the bed and sits on the edge, taking the shoes from me before giving me a passionate kiss and saying, "Good morning, beautiful…and thank you".

"You're welcome, love", I say quietly in response. "How did you ever get along without me?", I ask playfully as he dons his shoes.

"I didn't", he responds seriously, looking back at me as he does so, "The first day of my life was the day I met you". My heart melts at his tender words, and he stands up and straightens his suit. "How do I look, Mrs. Malfoy?", he asks, turning around for me to get a proper look at him.

"_Very _handsome, Mr. Malfoy", I say cheerfully.

"Ok then", he says, "I'm all ready. Come have breakfast with me before I have to leave?".

"Ok, love", I say before quickly getting out of bed and walking downstairs with Draco.

I feel terribly underdressed walking downstairs in my pajamas while Draco's wearing such a nice business suit, but all thought of clothing quickly leaves my mind as we enter the Dining Room and I smell the delicious food. My stomach growls and the baby kicks slightly, and I place my hand on my stomach and say, "Oh!", loudly.

"What? What's wrong?", Draco asks, immediately going pale in the face.

"Nothing!", I reply, "It was just a kick!".

"Oh…sorry, love", Draco replies, the color returning to his cheeks. The two of us walk over to the massive oak table and take our seats, immediately being served breakfast by one of the maids. As we eat, Draco brings up the baby-naming conversation we were having last night, and he starts suggesting ridiculous names, _again_, I might add.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy! We are NOT naming our daughter Medusa!", I exclaim loudly a few moments later. A loud laugh from just outside the Dining Room door lets me know that Lucius has overheard Draco's joking, and sure enough, a few seconds later Lucius enters the room with an enormous smile on his face.

"At it again, is he?", Lucius asks playfully.

I answer by simply saying, "Isn't he always?". Draco and Lucius both laugh at this statement, and the three of us are still carrying on when Narcissa comes into the room a few moments later, already dressed for the day.

"What's all this about, then?", she asks.

"Draco thinks that if the baby is a girl, he and Jayde should name her _Medusa_," Lucius says as seriously as possible. Clearly horrified, Narcissa's mouth drops open wide and she turns to me.

"You're not seriously considering it, are you?", she asks.

"No!", I reply, suddenly feeling as though I'm being attacked, "Why on Earth would I agree to name my daughter that?".

"Oh, thank Merlin!", Narcissa says, very audibly breathing a sigh of relief, which causes Draco, Lucius and I to burst out laughing again. Slowly, but surely, Narcissa comes around, and within a moment's time she's laughing heartily along with the three of us. When we've all settled down a few moments later, Narcissa speaks.

"Jayde, would you like to go to Diagon Alley with me, to help me pick out the new curtains and drapes?", she asks.

"Sure!", I reply, glad for any reason to not stay stuck in the house all day. Draco, however, is clearly uncomfortable with this idea.

He turns his face to the right and asks, "Are you sure that's a good idea, love? Mrs. Taylor said you should take it easy". Narcissa quickly jumps into the conversation, hoping to reassure him.

"Draco, I assure you there's nothing stressful or exhausting about shopping. We won't be out long, and I promise I won't leave her side for a moment! You know I'd never let anything happen to her, or the baby, so calm down, okay?". Draco still seems a little unsure, but I flash him a reassuring smile and I see the consent slowly begin to dawn on his eyes.

He slowly nods his head and then says, "Okay. But promise me you'll be careful".

"I promise", I reply, and then I lean to the left and give him a quick kiss. Draco finishes his breakfast and waits for Lucius to finish his, and then the two of them stand and prepare to leave for work. Draco gives me a tender kiss on the lips and bids me goodbye before he makes his way to the Dining Room door, but he stops in the doorway and turns around to face me again.

Staring me directly in the eyes, he slowly raises his left hand and presses a single finger, his pointer finger, to his temple. "I'll talk to you later; I love you", he says intensely, with his finger still resting on his temple, before flashing me a knowing smile and turning around and walking from the room.

Immediately after Draco leaves the room, I turn back to my breakfast plate, which I still haven't cleared yet. As I continue eating, however, I feel Narcissa's eyes burning a hole in me from across the table. Wondering why she's staring, I set my fork down on my plate and look up at her. "Narcissa, what's wrong?", I ask worriedly.

"What was that?", she asks immediately, a look of confusion clearly written across her face.

"Umm..I'm sorry, but I don't understand", I reply, "What was what?".

"What Draco did just before he left the room", she clarifies, "When he placed his finger on his temple. What was that? What did he mean?".

"Oh!", I reply, admittedly a bit flustered, "Um..nothing. I mean, I'm not sure what he meant".

Narcissa gives me a knowing look and presses on, knowing I'm not being honest with her. "Yes, you do know what he meant", she replies, "He was staring you straight in the eye, like it was some sort of private joke the two of you have. If it's too private for you to tell me, then just say so". I can't help but think that I've offended Narcissa, judging by the tone in her voice, so I quickly apologize and correct my previous statements.

"No Narcissa, wait", I say suddenly, trying to stop her from getting up from the table, which she's now attempting to do angrily. "It's not too private", I continue, "Just a little embarrassing".

Narcissa flashes me a reassuring smile and says, "Don't worry, dear, we're family now; you don't have to be embarrassed about anything around me".

"Ok", I say, nodding my head. Even though I know I should feel comfortable enough to tell Narcissa what I've got to say, I'm still not sure how to even begin; will she even _believe _me when I _do_ tell her what Draco meant? Knowing that my continued silence will only upset Narcissa even more, I decide to throw caution to the wind and simply blurt out everything I have to say, and if she doesn't believe me, at least I can say I tried. "You remember when I first got back to the Manor?", I ask her, "When you walked with me up to our bedroom to let Draco know I was home?".

"Yes…", Narcissa replies earnestly, her eyes silently urging me to go on.

"Well, Draco said something very odd that day", I begin, "He said that he could hear my voice in his head and that it was driving him crazy".

"Yes, I remember", Narcissa says, seeming thoroughly confused now, "But he was just stressed out then; I don't understand what that's got to do with what he did earlier".

"He wasn't just stressed out", I quickly correct her, "Because when I was away, I heard _his _voice in _my _head; and that wasn't the first time either, I just thought it was my imagination".

"So what're you saying?", Narcissa asks in an astonished tone, "Do you think you and Draco can read each other's minds without using legilimency?".

"Well, I wouldn't call it 'reading each other's minds'", I reply, "It's more like talking to each other through our minds…it doesn't work unless we're purposely directing our thoughts to each other; we've been experimenting with it a bit since I've been back".

"But…that's not possible", Narcissa begins with a curious and disbelieving look on her face, "What you're describing is '_Amare Vinculum_', but that only happens _after _two lovers get married".

Now it's my turn to be confused. "What's '_Amare Vinculum'?"_, I ask Narcissa.

"The love bond", she says, "On the day a witch and wizard are married, a special magical bond forms between them; the _Amare Vinculum_. Using this bond, the husband and wife may communicate through their minds without speaking to each other. But I don't understand how this could be; you and Draco aren't married yet. Do you remember when it started?".

"Um…honestly", I begin, "I think it started right after we found out I was pregnant".

"Hm…that's very strange", she replies, "Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you're pregnant. Either way, we really don't have time to figure this out right now; we've got to get some shopping done so we can get back here and get this house ready for your guests this evening".

And at this, Narcissa stands up and walks away from the table, causing our strange conversation to come to an abrupt end. Now even more confused than I was a few moments ago, I push my chair away from the table and slowly stand up before making my way back up to Draco's and my bedroom to have a shower and get ready to go shopping in Diagon Alley with Narcissa.


	4. Chapter 4 Dinner with the Browns

About an hour after Narcissa so abruptly ended our conversation about Amare Vinculum, I step out of the shower and wrap up in one of the huge white towels with an emerald green "M" embroidered on it. Then I take another towel and flip my head over before wrapping the towel around my hair and twisting both the hair and the towel, flipping the excess towel up onto my head in what looks like a make-shift Egyptian headdress.

I hurriedly don my choice of clothing for the day as well as my make-up, and then grab my wand, which I use to quickly dry and style my hair. I rush downstairs, trying to keep Narcissa from having to wait any longer. I find Narcissa sitting in a chair in the entrance hall, looking rather bored. As soon as she sees me, she jumps to her feet and asks if I'm ready to go. She and I walk outside and down the gravel drive of Malfoy Manor before walking through the wrought-iron gates and disapparating.

We land in Diagon Alley a moment later, and though there's no need for Narcissa to continue holding my arm, she still does. Although I assume it's because she promised Draco she wouldn't let anything happen to me, it still makes me feel like a child as she leads me through the throngs of people. The alley is extremely busy today for some reason; crowds are gathered outside several already-full shops. The people outside push and struggle to get inside to buy the goods they need. Narcissa and I have to walk very slowly in a zig-zag pattern to get past two such shops, though through all the people I can't even make out which shops they are. This shocks me, because normally people just jump out of the way when they see Narcissa, or Lucius for that matter, approaching; the Malfoy family is one that demands respect.

Narcissa and I both breathe a sigh of relief once we've cleared the two mobs, and, in her typical, somewhat stuck-up fashion, Narcissa starts complaining about all those people. Amidst all the people chatting in the Alley I can't really make out what she says, and I've sort of learned to ignore her little rants anyway, but I distinctly hear some things that sound like "Ridiculous" and "Pack of rats". Narcissa continues to pull me through the alley a little more gently now that we can walk and breathe freely, and a few moments later we reach a small shop I've never been to; _Magically Designed_. Narcissa and I step inside where we are once again eagerly greeted by the shop's owner, a stumpy little bald-headed man wearing very stylish blue robes. He asks Narcissa to what he owes the pleasure of seeing her, and she explains to him our so-called "dilemma".

"Not to worry, Narcissa dear," the man says, "I'll have your house looking fabulous in no time!" He walks over to a display a short distance away and pats his hand on the table enthusiastically several times. "I just got in an entire shipment of linens, drapes; everything. They're made of the finest silk gold can buy!"

"Excellent," Narcissa replies as she walks over to join him at the display. I just stand rooted to my spot, looking around at all the things in the shop since I'm not the one buying anyway, but Narcissa calls me over a moment later to ask my opinion on which drapes she should buy. She and I spend quite a while debating on which color drapes to get, and finally settle on an emerald green; we also get a tablecloth to match. Narcissa pays the shopkeeper a ridiculous sum, and we leave the shop.

When we step back out into Diagon Alley, I expect Narcissa to take me by the arm and apparate back home, but instead she merrily says, "And now for the dresses!"

"Ummm… what dresses?" I ask.

"Oh come now, Jayde," she replies, "We can't entertain guests in the same, plain old clothes we wear everyday!"

I'm shocked by her words; is she implying that I dress too simply? Surely she wasn't talking about herself; nothing Narcissa wears is plain. Without speaking another word, Narcissa pulls me off down the street, back into the same shop she and I went dress shopping in the first day I met her. The shop owner comes running up to us as soon as we enter, and I'm surprised to find that she's already memorized my name and face as well. She eagerly asks Narcissa what the special occasion is, and Narcissa explains that we're having a small dinner party. Immediately the grey-haired woman gets to work, bringing all her newest and most fashionable dresses for Narcissa to try on. Narcissa decides to try on every single dress to make sure she gets the perfect one, and I can't help but think that this shopping spree is going to take a lot longer than I'd expected.

My back and feet are already beginning to hurt from carrying all this extra weight around today, so I decide to have a seat on the sofa that sits just outside the dressing room doors; I figure if I'm going to be here for a while, I should at least make myself comfortable. Narcissa steps into the dressing room just as I take a seat, and walks out a few moments later wearing a canary yellow, floor-length dress that shows a LOT of cleavage; much more than I'd ever be comfortable showing. As Narcissa steps in front of the mirrors to examine herself, I can tell by the look on her face that she doesn't like the dress. Sure enough, a moment later she confirms my suspicions.

"Margaret," she says to the shop owner, "This dress is hideous; it's too yellow!"

"Oh no, Narcissa," Margaret says, "I assure you it's the latest fashion. Everyone loves the brighter colors these days."

Narcissa casts Margaret a threatening look, as if to say, "How dare you?", and then turns to me. "Here, we'll settle this right now," she says, "Jayde, what do you think?"

Oh no, suddenly I'd rather be anywhere but here; did she _have _to ask my opinion? Can I just sink into this sofa and disappear so I don't have to answer that question? If I tell Narcissa the dress looks horrid, she could take it as an insult to her looks and get upset. But if I tell her the dress looks good I'd be lying, and she'd probably be able to tell, which would also upset her. Deciding to go with the lesser of the two evils, I quickly say, "Well, I think you look fantastic in anything you wear, but I have to agree with you; that dress is horrible! The design's great, but that color is just too bright."

Surprisingly, Narcissa smiles at me in response. "I knew you'd agree," she says happily. "See, Margaret? It's not just my opinion," she continues.

"And you're both absolutely right!" Margaret says, quickly changing her tune, "That dress is disgusting; I don't even know how it got here because I would certainly never order such a ridiculous piece!"

I can't help but snicker to myself as Margaret's face turns a violent shade of red and Narcissa steps back into the dressing room to take off the atrocity. This exact same process continues as Narcissa tries on 7 more dresses, finally settling on a mid-length black piece with sequins all over that make it sparkle with every move she makes. I breathe a sigh of relief, ready to go home and glad for this shopping spree to be over. Just as I get to my feet, however, Narcissa steps out of the dressing room in her regular attire and calls out, "Jayde! Your turn!"

"Um..my turn?" I ask, both confused and annoyed at the same time.

"Of course!" she says, "You're getting a new dress for dinner, too!"

"Oh no, Narcissa, I don't need a dress," I reply, "I've got that lovely black piece Draco bought me a while back for Ms. Fitzpatrick's funeral."

"Rubbish," she says, "You're getting a new dress."

"Ok," I say quietly.

"Margaret!" Narcissa orders, "Bring me all your newest, prettiest dresses in Jayde's size; and don't forget she needs a bigger size now because of the baby."

"Right away!" the elderly woman calls, clearly thrilled at the opportunity to make another sale. She comes back a few moments later with several party dresses in a variety of different colors. She hands me the first of the pile of dresses and she and Narcissa shoo me into the dressing room, not waiting long enough for me to object. A bit frustrated but determined to get out of this shop soon, I grumpily start stripping off my comfortable clothes and step into the first dress; a floor length, wine red, halter top. I can't help but think that the dress suits Narcissa's taste more than it does mine; it shows a fair bit of cleavage. I turn around and open the dressing room door, stepping back out into the shop, and Narcissa and Margaret both begin squealing.

"Oooh, it looks so good, Jayde!" Narcissa says excitedly.

I still haven't seen what the ensemble looks like on me, so I turn around to look at myself in the dual, floor-length mirrors hanging just outside the dressing room. I have to admit, the dress does look good; I feel like a princess. The dress' clingy satin fabric hugs my figure tightly, complimenting it nicely except for in one spot; my stomach. It's sticking out like a sore thumb, though I have to admit that seeing it so clearly causes a smile to come to my face; my baby bump has sort of grown on me, no pun intended. I place my hands on my belly and glance down at it, smiling softly.

"Well, let's see how some of these other dresses look on you, dear," Narcissa says with a smile before passing me a knee-length pink ensemble. I take the second dress from her and step back into the dressing room. I've already got my mind made up that I'm not going to like this dress, simply because it's pink and I _hate _pink, but I suppose I might as well humor Narcissa. I slip out of the red dress and am almost completely in the pink one when I hear Draco's voice in my head, which startles me so badly I nearly scream.

"Hello, beautiful; how's your day?" he asks. I gather my composure and allow my breathing to slow for a moment before answering him.

"Ok, I suppose," is my response.

"What're you doing?" he asks.

"I'm at Margaret's shop with your Mum, looking at dresses for this evening."

"Oh, that sounds like fun," he replies playfully.

"Obviously, you've never been dress shopping with your Mum," I retort, "She's got me trying on 10 different dresses!"

"Have you seen any you like so far?" he asks.

"Well, I just tried on a red one; it looked nice. Now I'm getting into a horrid pink one, though." I reply.

"Wait…you're _getting_ into a dress? Meaning you're naked right now?" he asks unabashedly.

I blush at his question but answer nonetheless; "What if I am naked?" I ask.

"Then I would LOVE to be there right now," he says playfully.

"Draco Malfoy!" I exclaim, to which his response is raucous laughter.

"Well I would!" he says, "Hell…if you don't like the dress leave it off and meet me at home in 5 minutes."

"DRACO!" I say excitedly between fits of laughter.

"I'm sorry, love," he says, "I had to."

"I don't see why," I respond playfully, "Every time I try to make love to you, you stop me."

"And you already know why that is," he says, "I want our _real_ first time to be special, not just because your hormones are going wild because of the baby. And you told me you wanted to wait until we're married."

"I know I did," I sigh in response.

"So what's so horrid about the pink dress?" he asks, changing the subject.

"It's _pink_," I say matter-of-factly.

"Ah," he says quietly. A few seconds pass by silently after this, during which I finish donning and zipping the dress.

"Well I'd better get back to work," Draco says finally, "Have fun today and I'll see you this evening…I love you."

"I love you, too" I reply before turning on my heel and walking out of the dressing room.

Naturally, Narcissa and Margaret "Ooh" and "Aah" over the pink dress, but I quickly grab the next one and walk back into the dressing room. I try on 6 more dresses; one is a pretty pastel green, three are black, one is sky blue, and the last dress is white. Though I've liked several of the dresses, as soon as I slip into the white dress, I know that's the one I want. It's knee-length with thin spaghetti straps and a band of silver diamonds sits just below the bust, and the fabric hugs my figure nicely.

Narcissa and Margaret both completely agree that this is the perfect dress when I step out of the dressing room, and I hurry back into the dressing room and change back into my regular clothes in an effort to get home and off my feet as soon as possible. I come out of the dressing room a few moments later, dress in hand, and walk up to the counter, where Narcissa pays for both her dress and mine before allowing Margaret to box them up. Then Narcissa takes the boxes from Margaret and she and I walk back out into Diagon Alley before, thankfully, apparating home.

The maids have lunch ready when we arrive, and Narcissa chats excitedly as we eat about the preparations she'll be making for tonight. I head straight upstairs to have a nap immediately after lunch, and don't wake up until almost three in the afternoon. Immediately after waking up I head downstairs to assist Narcissa with the preparations, and as I do so I am very thankful that we have the aid of magic. Narcissa wants everything_ spotless_, even though it already was, and she, the maids and I spend quite some time accomplishing that feat.

Finally, around five-o-clock, the housework is done and Narcissa hurries into the kitchen while I go upstairs to start getting ready. I don my beautiful new white dress and a pair of sandals to match, and then take a seat at the vanity and start putting on my makeup and fixing my hair. I decide to spirally curl my hair, and I'm just finishing up when Draco comes in from work a while later. He walks over to the vanity and leans down, giving me a kiss on the cheek and asking how my day was. I tell him how the rest of the dress-hunting went, and he asks me to stand up and let him see my new dress. I do so, and turn around so he can see the dress in its entirety, and when I've finished modeling it for him he simply stands there in front of me with his eyes traveling up and down my body and a smile on his face.

"You look fantastic," he says, before placing his hands on my hips and pulling me close to him. I look up at him with a smile on my face and he cups my left cheek in his hand, pulling my face upwards to meet his. He kisses me tenderly for a few seconds, and then begins kissing me fiercely, passionately. Though this feels amazing and I don't want to stop, I realize that this will just turn into another one of those tempting make-out sessions that goes no further than second base. Though these make-out sessions are nice, they only make my raging pregnant-woman hormones worse, not to mention Draco and I have guests coming, so I decide I might as well put an end to it now.

"Mmm…darling," I breathlessly say between kisses, "Maybe we should stop now…before this gets out of hand."

Draco stops immediately and tries to regain his composure while I do the same. "You're right, love," he says, "But do you have any idea how badly you make me want you?"

"Almost as badly as I want you," I reply quietly. He smiles down at me and plants a quick, final kiss on my lips before turning around and walking over to the closet, taking his shirt off his dress coat in the process. I decide to sit down on the bed and talk to Draco while I wait for him to get ready for dinner. "So how was work today?" I ask.

"Okay," he says from deep within the closet, "Everyone said they were glad to see me back."

"Did Allen seem surprised when you asked him and Marie to dinner?" I ask.

Draco steps to the closet door, his muscular chest bare, and says, "I'm sorry dear, I couldn't hear you. What did you say?"

"I forget," I say in an astonished voice as I stare at the bare skin of his torso. Draco laughs heartily at this and steps back into the closet. He steps out a few moments later wearing a white dress shirt and black slacks and looking absolutely divine. He then walks over to the bed and helps me to my feet, and the two of us head downstairs to wait for our guests to arrive. We take a seat in the Drawing Room while we wait, and Lucius and Narcissa join us shortly thereafter.

When Allen and Marie still haven't arrived thirty minutes later, Narcissa impatiently begins to question Draco to ask if he's sure he told Allen and Marie that the dinner was indeed tonight. Draco tells her "yes" several times, getting very frustrated with her, I might add, but we still see nothing of the Browns for another thirty minutes. Just when we're about to stop waiting and go eat dinner without them, a chime sounds, alerting us that there's someone at the gates to the manor. Draco immediately sends one of the maids outside to usher our guests inside, and he, Narcissa, Lucius and I all make our way to the Entrance Hall to welcome them.

They reach the manor a moment later, and hugs, handshakes and greetings are all exchanged. "I'm sorry we're so late," Allen says, "It's taking Marie a bit longer to get ready these days."

That makes sense; Marie's belly has gotten _huge_. I wonder to myself if my belly will be that big before the baby's born. Narcissa has a maid take Allen and Marie's coats, and we all immediately go into the Dining Room for dinner. Narcissa has indeed gotten out her finest china for the event, and has had the maids prepare an _enormous _feast, comparable to those at Hogwarts. Narcissa proves to be an amazing hostess; the entire time we eat she keeps telling jokes or anecdotes, as well as chatting about the latest gossip. There truly is not one moment at dinner that isn't filled by conversation, and after dinner and desert the six of us adjourn to the Drawing Room.

Lucius opens a bottle of firewhiskey and pours himself and Allen a glass; Draco politely declines. The men start talking about work and Quidditch, while us women talk about baby showers and our rapidly approaching due dates. Thinking that this might be the perfect time to ask Marie to be a bridesmaid, I delicately bring up the wedding.

"You will come, won't you?" I ask.

"Of course!" she replies, "I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Good," I say, "Because I was hoping you'd be a bridesmaid."

"What? Are you serious?" she asks incredulously, her eyes and mouth open wide. I smile and nod at her in response, and she squeals in delight.

"Of course I will!" she responds excitedly.

I lean forward and pull her into a hug, "Thank you," I say against her ear.

"No, thank _you _for asking me!" she replies, "Oh Allen, Jayde's just asked me to be a bridesmaid!" she calls to her husband.

"Really? Well that's great," he replies before taking another swallow from his glass of firewhiskey.

Marie turns back to me and starts talking animatedly, asking about the wedding date and if we've chosen the bridesmaids' dresses yet. She, Narcissa, and I continue to talk about the wedding for a while as Draco, Lucius, and Allen continue to talk about work and Quidditch. The majority of the night passes in this way, and a little after eleven-o-clock Allen and Marie leave, after thanking all of us for having them over for dinner. Draco and I go straight up to our room after bidding them farewell, and go to bed immediately, exhausted.


	5. Chapter 5 Boredom

Draco leaving for work the next morning marks the beginning of what I know will be an 8-hour bore-fest for me. After breakfast, I go back up to our bedroom and have a seat at my cherry wood vanity. I take out 4 pieces of parchment, a quill, and ink, having decided to write to some of my friends. I write to Mrs. McGreggor, the headmistress of the wizarding school I attended in Ireland. I tell her the decisions we've made thus far about the wedding, and tell her that I'd like for her to meet with Narcissa, Marie, Hermione, Ginny, and I sometime soon so that we can pick out the bridesmaids' and maid of honor's dresses.

When I finish my letter to Mrs. McGreggor, I also write to Hermione and Ginny, my two best friends, filling them in on what's been going on in my life since I returned to Malfoy Manor. I also ask the two of them when they'll be available to pick out dresses, and insist that the three of us get together soon, just to spend time together. I finally write to Marie, thanking her and Allen for coming over for dinner and insisting that we do the same thing again soon. I also ask her when she'll be available for dress shopping, and thank her again for agreeing to be my bridesmaid. When I've finished writing all four letters, I fold them and place them in envelopes before addressing and sealing them. Then I walk to the family's private owlery, letters in hand, and employ the help of three of the family's four owls to deliver my letters; Hermione and Ginny's letters are both taken by the same owl as they're both staying at the Burrow, Ginny's family's home.

As I watch the owls fly out of the open window, I can't help but think _Great, now what am I going to do with myself?_ I walk downstairs to the drawing room, expecting to see Narcissa there. She's nowhere to be found, however, and I glance up at the clock hanging above the mantle. In doing so, I'm horrified to discover that I only spent an hour writing those four letters, and still have quite a bit of time left to kill. I flop down in one of the armchairs near the fireplace, one of Draco's favorite seats, and sigh heavily. A stroke of brilliance hits me a few moments later, and I decide to run with it.

_I know what I can do!_ I think to myself. _I can pick out baby names!_ I jump up out of the chair and practically run all the way up to our bedroom on the third floor. I walk over to the nightstand on Draco's side of the bed and pick up the book of baby names he brought home from Diagon Alley a while back, as well as my wand. Sitting on the bed cross-legged, I start in the "boy names" section of the book at the letter "A" and begin reading off the names, and their meanings, one by one. I go all the way through the "boy" section, from "A" to "Z". I indicate the names I like with my wand by causing the letters to glow red, a handy transfiguration trick I learned in school that's somewhat similar to using a highlighter in the muggle world.

I "highlight" Arrin, Aidan, Iain, and Skylar, just to name a few. I particularly like "Iain" because it has Irish origins; it means "a gift from God" in Gaelic. I realize, however, that the baby isn't just from Irish descent, and I would really like for the heritage the baby will have from Draco's side of the family to be evident in its name, also. Finishing with the boy names much quicker than I thought I would, I quickly flip the page to the "girl names" section of the book and start my process of elimination all over again, beginning with the "A"s again. Once again, I "highlight" the names I like in red with my wand. Though I find several names that I like, one in particular stands out in my mind: Caroline.

I immediately become emotional when I see the name; Caroline was the first name of the matron of the orphanage I grew up in, and she died a few months ago. She was like my mother, and I immediately decide that, if the baby growing inside me is a girl, "Caroline" will definitely be in her name somewhere, whether it's her first or middle name. I'm sure Draco won't mind that because he knows how close she and I were, and he was almost as heartbroken as I was when she died. Thinking about Ms. Fitzpatrick somehow causes a chain reaction, and another name pops into my head, even though it wasn't in the baby name book: Neta. Neta was my actual mother's name, and I immediately want that name included as well, if the baby is indeed a girl. I think for a few moments and finally come up with 'Neta Caroline', which sounds perfect, in my opinion.

Though that name is a bit different and could possibly raise some questions from people who didn't understand it, it would be in honor of my two deceased mothers and I can't think of a better way to name a child than in honor of two such important people. I know that Draco will agree with me; I'm sure he'll fully support me in this decision, but I make a mental note to talk to him about it later anyway. I find it a little sad, however, that these two people won't be around to _know _that I named my potential daughter after them, or to even know that I'm having a child at all; my mother died just after I was born, and Ms. Fitzpatrick died before I could work up the courage to tell her I was pregnant.

Having already decided that 'Neta Caroline' will be the baby's name if it's a girl, I close the baby name book and place it back on the nightstand on Draco's side of the bed. Then, returning to my seated position, I lean back into the pillows and place my hands on my stomach. I smile down at the bulge that houses my baby and rub it with my thumb slowly. As I do so, the baby starts kicking in almost the exact same spot that I'm rubbing, causing me to giggle. The baby keeps kicking, and I keep giggling, for a few more moments before I hear a knock on my bedroom door. I look up and call out "Come in," expecting to see Narcissa open the door and step inside. To my surprise, however, it's a house elf. I'm thoroughly shocked; I've heard Draco talk about house elves before, but until now I didn't realize that there _were _house elves at Malfoy Manor, I haven't seen one before now.

"Um… Miss," the female house elf says timidly, "Pinky is sorry to disturb you, but Pinky was sent up here to tell you lunch is ready."

"Oh, okay," I say cheerfully, "Thanks for letting me know, Pinky; I'm starved!" I sling my feet to the left side of the bed and push down onto my hands, getting to my feet. Pinky just stands there staring at me in amazement as I do so. Finally realizing that she's staring, she turns and walks from the room, and I follow her down the hallway and down two flights of stairs to the first floor. We take a left and walk into the Dining Room, and Pinky immediately scurries off towards the wooden door on the right side of the room, towards the kitchen. I stop her, however, as I take my seat. "Pinky," I begin, "Do you know where Narcissa is? I haven't seen her all day."

"Mistress Malfoy is seeing to Baby Shower business," Pinky replies, before walking from the room without another word.

Stunned by the house elf's answer, I make myself comfortable in my seat and wait patiently. A few moments later Pinky returns with a plate full of hot, steaming food and sets it in front of me, before once again walking back into the kitchen without speaking another word to me. Even the ticking of the clock sounds deafening as I eat alone in the huge Dining Room, in complete and somewhat depressing silence. When I've finished eating, I wonder to myself whether I should leave my plate for the maids to pick up later, or if I should take my plate to the kitchen for it to be washed, just in case the maids forget I'd been eating.

Deciding to go with the latter of the two options, I stand and pick up my plate, cup, and utensils and walk over to the kitchen door. I push on it lightly and it swings forward. I gaze into the kitchen for the first time and am amazed by what I see; an enormous room with a cathedral ceiling filled with several stoves, fireplaces, countertops with sinks, and cabinets that I assume are filled with cooking supplies and dry foods. There are also racks hanging on the walls that bear tons of utensils and cups, as well as forceps, pots, and pans galore. There are several maids and house elves alike bustling about, washing dishes and cleaning stoves.

They're so busy that they don't notice me at first, and continue about their duties. Off to the far right I hear a woman's voice yelling, which immediately draws my attention. I look for the source of the voice and find who I assume to be the "head" maid, if there is such a thing, yelling down at a house elf. "If you don't hurry up and finish those dishes, I'll send you straight down to the dungeons!" she yells. I find this statement a bit odd; dungeons? At Malfoy Manor? Surely she's not serious, is she? I don't have time to wonder for long, though, because immediately after finishing her previous statement, the maid looks around the room and notices me standing in the doorway. "Why, Miss Jayde!" she exclaims, causing all the other maids and house elves to stop their work and turn to look at me. "What are you doing in here, dear?" she asks.

Startled by all the sudden attention, I take a moment to gather my composure before answering. "Oh!" I begin, "I just thought I'd bring my plate in here since I'm finished."

"Oh, how nice of you!" the maid replies as she walks towards me. "You don't have to do that, though," she continues, "You shouldn't be carrying plates; we'd have gotten it off the table for you."

By this point the middle-aged woman has reached me, and she immediately extends her hands to take the plate from me, as though the plate is a snake that may bite me if I keep it in my hands any longer. She takes the plate and turns around, handing it to the nearest maid to clean. As she does so, she realizes that all the other employees are still staring and scolds them all. "Why are you staring?" she asks, "Don't you all have work to do?" Immediately all the other maids and house elves turn away and continue their chores without saying a word. "Well, was that all you wanted, Miss Jayde?" the maid asks.

"Oh, um… yes," I reply, feeling foolish.

"Perhaps you should go then," the maid replies, "You really shouldn't be in here; the kitchen is no place for a young lady such as yourself, and I must get back to work."

"Right," I reply, nodding my head, "I'm sorry I disturbed you."

"Oh, it's no problem at all!" she replies with a smile on her face. The maid then turns around and starts walking away, back to where she'd come from. I begin to turn as well, to head back into the Dining Room, when a thought suddenly strikes me.

"Wait," I begin as I turn back to face the maid, "There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Absolutely," the maid replies as she turns back around.

"I was just wondering," I reply, "I heard you tell that house elf that you'd send him to the dungeons; does that mean there _are _dungeons here at Malfoy Manor?"

I watch the maid's face fall as I ask this question, and I can already tell I'm not going to get a truthful answer. "Oh," she begins, "I'm not sure I'm the right person to tell you that. Perhaps you should ask Master Draco when he returns from work." I consider the maid's suggestion for a moment before nodding my head.

"Okay, I'll do that," I begin, "Thank you for your help."

The maid replies "Yes, ma'am," and I quickly turn and walk from the room without saying another word. When I get back into the Dining Room, however, my curiosity is peaked.

_So there are dungeons_, I think to myself. _Dungeons here, at Malfoy Manor_.


	6. Chapter 6 The Dungeons

I can't help but be a little wary of my recent discovery that there are dungeons in Malfoy Manor. I know that Lucius is a death eater and wonder if perhaps he's holding someone prisoner here, right under my very nose. I wonder what kinds of things go on in the dungeons, and I wonder why it's taken me this long to figure out that there _are_ dungeons. I also wonder what other secrets this house could be holding, and where the dungeons could possibly be.

The fact that I'm already bored, and have been since Draco left for work this morning, does nothing to help the situation. Having nothing else to do and unable to contain my curiosity, I decide to search the house in the hopes of finding the entrance to the dungeons, in an effort to get more immediate answers to my questions instead of having to wait until Draco gets home to ask him. Solely based off my intellect, I know that the entrance to the dungeons must be somewhere here, on the ground floor. After all, dungeons, and basements for that matter, are normally located below ground level.

Since I know that the kitchen and dining room are on the right side of the house, I decide to explore the left side of the house in my search. I walk from the Dining Room into the entrance hall, and cross the hall into the drawing room. There's a door to the immediate left of the fireplace in the drawing room, and I turn the knob and step inside. I'm amazed because I never even knew this room existed. This room is _definitely _not a dungeon, however; it's a potion room. There's a large cauldron sitting in the middle of a table in the exact center of the room, and scales and other utensils used for potion making are sitting next to the cauldron on the table.

Shelves cover every inch of wall space that isn't consumed by the two doors in and out of the room. Vials upon vials of both solids and liquids occupy those shelves, some of them quite dusty. I assume this must be a private room for Lucius, since he's such an expert potioneer. In fact, this must be where Lucius makes my Nimbimagus potion for me; the potion I have to take every day to keep my powers in check. Feeling a bit like an intruder in a room that's so clearly only meant for one person's enjoyment, I quickly cross the room and head towards the large wooden door that's situated behind the table containing the cauldron. I open the door and step into yet another room that I never knew existed; a large, marble-floored bathroom.

I find this quite a bit amusing, because up until now I thought there was no bathroom on the ground floor. Since I've been pregnant I've had to use the bathroom much more frequently, and there've been several times that I've had to use the bathroom and have gone up to the second floor because I didn't know this bathroom existed. I'd just written it off at the time as a flaw in the design of the mansion, but I plan to take full advantage of this bathroom now that I know it's here. Having seen quite a few bathrooms in the short 17 years of my life, I decide not to linger in here much longer and move on to the next room, indicated by a door to the right. As I open this door, I realize that there's not much light coming from the next room and take my wand out of my pocket.

"Lumos Maxima," I say quietly, igniting the tip of my wand. I proceed into the room quietly and close the door behind myself, and am admittedly a bit taken aback. This room isn't a room at all, it's more like a… _lair. _Though there are walls, a ceiling and a floor, I feel like I'm in some sort of cave. As there are no windows, there's no light coming into the room except for that being emitted by my wand. I wonder if this could be what the maid was referring to as the dungeons, but am quickly corrected by a small voice coming from somewhere to my left. "Miss, what are you doing down here?" the small voice asks. I recognize the voice immediately as Pinky's, and look off into the darkness, seeking her out. I spot her a short distance away, making her way across the room towards me.

"I was just sort of… exploring," I say quietly, unsure of whether the house elf will believe me or not. "Pinky?" I ask, "Where exactly is _here?" _

"Missus Jayde is in the house elves' quarters," Pinky says matter-of-factly.

"Oh," I reply, a little disappointed that I haven't found the dungeons, after all.

"And you shouldn't be down here, Missus," Pinky continues, "It is being cold and dark down here, and Missus Jayde does not need to get sick because she is expecting Master Draco's child." Pinky's eyes rest on my stomach when she says this, and I realize that she's absolutely right; I don't need to get sick, so I should probably get out of here as quickly as possible.

"But why is it so cold and dark down here?" I ask. "Because Master Lucius and Mistress Narcissa isn't seeing fit to put a fireplace down here; we house elves is being used to cold, dark places."

"Oh, so you like to sleep in the cold and dark?" I ask for clarification.

"Pinky isn't saying that, Missus," Pinky corrects.

I can't help but feel sorry for this sweet little creature; I sleep in a huge, warm and comfortable bed every night in a house that _she _helps keep running, but _she _and her fellow servants sleep in _this_, such a cold, dark, and gloomy place. Though I'm sure that I'm probably overstepping what little bit of authority I _do_ have at Malfoy Manor, I decide that this simply will not do. After all; what was it Narcissa said the other day? "Jayde, you're a _Malfoy_ now," I think to myself in response. Having made up my mind to follow through with my intentions and tell Narcissa about it later, I lift my wand and begin performing a series of complicated spells. I'm unsure if I'll be able to pull off what I've got in mind; this is some very advanced magic, but I try nonetheless.

I transfigure the wall at the back of the room, causing four, floor-to-ceiling cathedral windows to appear. Pinky gasps loudly at this, but I'm not finished yet. I blink as my eyes adjust to the sudden outburst of light pouring into the room from my newly-formed windows, and then look around to see what other work needs to be done. Small piles of dusty old rags are lying around on the floor; I assume these are the house elves' _beds_. I quickly banish all the old rags, replacing them with a tiny bed, large pillow and warm blanket for each elf. Again, Pinky gasps at this, but I continue looking around the room for other ways to improve it.

There are two large, open spaces on either side of the room that look like the perfect place for fireplaces, so I quickly conjure up two matching marble ones. I start a roaring fire in each fireplace, and then conjure up miniature chairs and sofas for the house elves to sit in. Then I lower my wand and put it back in my pocket. Pinky is in tears at this point, and I assume it's because she's grateful, but she quickly proves me wrong. "Missus, why is you doing this?" she asks. "We house elves is getting in trouble; Master Lucius is thinking we is doing this!"

"No, he won't," I reply, "If he asks any questions you will simply tell him that Miss Jayde did this, and that he can come and see me if he doesn't approve."

"But why is Missus Jayde doing this?" Pinky pleads, "We is good house elves; we isn't needing anything but our old rags to sleep on, and our old, dark room. Missus Jayde is getting in trouble for doing this."

I squat so that I'm eye-level with the teary-eyed house elf and place a hand on her shoulder. "No, Pinky, I won't get in trouble. I'm a Malfoy now, and what I say around this house goes. I know that you're all good house elves, and that's why I did this; because you all work so hard and deserve to have a bright and warm room to sleep in. And I'll not hear another word about it; do you understand me?" Pinky nods her head in agreement and wipes the tears away from her eyes, and I come back to a standing position. Just as I make to turn and walk from the room, however, Pinky wraps her tiny arms around my legs and hugs them tightly.

"Thank you, Missus," she says quietly, "Pinky is telling all the other house elves how nice Missus Jayde is to them."

"You're welcome, Pinky," I say, patting the small elf on the head. Pinky releases my legs and steps away from me, and just then a light bulb comes on inside my head. Why didn't I think of this before? "Pinky," I say cautiously, "Could you do me a favor?"

"Anything!" Pinky says excitedly.

"Good," I think to myself. "Pinky," I continue, "I want you to be my tour guide. There are still several places in Malfoy Manor that I haven't seen yet, and I'd like to see them all."

"Ok, Missus Jayde," Pinky replies, "Where is you wanting to see first?"

"The dungeons," I reply casually. Pinky's eyes widen as soon as I say this, and I honestly think she's going to say no, but she nods her head in agreement and takes me by the hand, leading me out of the house elves' quarters. She leads me back through the enormous bathroom I just came from, back through Lucius' potion room, and back through the Drawing Room. She leads me into the entrance hall, and I'm surprised when she starts leading me towards the staircase.

"Pinky, the dungeons _can't _be upstairs," I say matter-of-factly.

"Pinky is knowing this," she replies solemnly. She continues to lead me, however, towards the stairs. When we reach the bottom step, however, she turns to the right and leads me to the area just beside the stairs. There, just as plain as the nose on my face, is a wooden door. Unable to believe that I haven't noticed this door before, I release Pinky's hand excitedly and grab the doorknob, twisting it and pulling the door towards me.

I'm immediately hit by a draft of cool, damp air as I stare down into the darkness, and I once again take my wand from my pocket and use "Lumos Maxima" to light the tip of it. "Is Missus Jayde wanting Pinky to walk into the dungeons with her?" my small companion asks.

"Um… yes, actually," I reply, a little wary of walking down into the dark dungeons by myself.

Without hesitating, Pinky walks through the open door and onto the landing. She snaps her fingers and immediately several torches hanging on the walls burst into flame, illuminating the way down into the dungeons. I step onto the landing with Pinky and the large wooden door closes behind me. I wait a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, and then begin my descent down the first flight of stairs leading down into the dungeons with Pinky leading the way.

"Watch your step, Missus," she warns as she extends her hand for me to take. "Master Draco is getting angry at Pinky if you is getting hurt." Pinky and I continue down the first flight of stairs and then turn to the right and continue, down a second flight of stairs. We turn to the right once more and walk down a final flight of stairs before reaching the dungeon floor.


	7. Chapter 7 Accidents

I glance around at the darkness, suddenly very aware of and thankful for Pinky's presence. I squeeze her hand tightly and feel her fingers tighten around mine in response. My wand's tip still illuminated, I extend my wand arm in front of me and slowly take my first step forward into the gloomy depths of the newly-discovered dungeons. The sounds of my shoe and Pinky's bare foot hitting the concrete floor are almost deafening in the silence of the semi-prison.

I look around, peering at the cement walls and floors. Flaming torches hang periodically on the wall to my left, and several cells enclosed with iron bars take up the space to my right. Looking into the first cell and seeing that it's empty, I take a few steps forward, still holding Pinky's hand. I feel like an explorer who's searching the depths of a secret cave for treasure as I look cautiously into the second cell. Again, this cell is empty, and I once again take a few steps forward to look into the next cell childishly. As I peer into the third cell, I don't _see_ anything, but I _hear_ a thumping noise coming from somewhere to my left.

Instead of turning and walking out of the dungeon right at this moment, I become curious as to what could be making that noise down here. Deciding that the noise must be coming from one of the final two cells in the dungeon, I slowly make my way forward with both a shaky hand and resolve. I find only emptiness in cell four, but continue to hear a loud "Thump" coming from somewhere to my left. Terrified of what I'll find but determined to have my questions answered, I creep forward a few steps, to the outside of the fifth and final cell. My eyes wander around the open space aimlessly, but I once again find absolutely _nothing _in the cell. And then a loud "THUMP!" sounds right next to my ear, nearly scaring me out of my wits.

I turn, or more like whip myself around immediately to find a wooden cupboard leaning against the wall behind me. The cupboard is sitting in a corner and is completely cloaked in the shadows cast by the two nearby walls, explaining why I haven't seen it before. My heart rate increasing significantly, I take a slow, deep breath in to try and calm myself. I've almost succeeded in slowing my heart's racing palpitations when the cupboard gives an involuntary jump, causing the loud thumping noise I've been hearing for the past few moments. _Ok, so that explains the noise, _I think to myself_, but what explains that cupboard jumping like that?_

I'm so caught up in my discovery that I haven't even been paying attention to Pinky, and as I realize this I look down to find the house elf terrified and trembling beside me. Her tiny hand is still intertwined with mine, and she's holding on to my hand so tightly that her knuckles are white. "It's…it's alright, Pinky," I say. I'm trying to comfort her, but I'm unable to mask the nervousness in my voice. "I'm sure it's nothing. I'm going to get to the bottom of this right now," I continue.

"M…Missus Jayde," Pinky says, "Pinky is thinking that we should be getting out of here. Pinky doesn't like this at all."

"It'll be fine," I reassure the elf, unsure if I really want to see what's inside the cupboard. I take a moment to regain my composure and convince myself that I can handle whatever comes at me.

_I'm a grown woman, a witch, and a Nimbimagus at that_,I think to myself._ May God have mercy on whatever tries to come out of that cupboard at me!_ I slowly flick my wand towards the cupboard, causing the doors to swing open.

To my surprise and confusion, it's Draco that steps out of the cupboard. "Darling!" I exclaim, half-happily and half-warily, "What are you doing down here?" Draco doesn't answer me, he just stands there with a smirk on his face, as if to say I've been caught. At first I think he's just a little upset with me for being in the dungeons, but when he continues to stand there staring at me in silence I can't help but feel a little uneasy. I look him over, examining him for any sign as to what's wrong, and I notice that he's not wearing the same clothes he was wearing when he went to work this morning.

"Um…shouldn't you be at work?" I ask cautiously. Again, there's no answer, but Draco slowly takes a single step towards me with that same, evil-looking smirk still on his face. I've never seen Draco behave like this; my mind is racing through a billion thoughts per second, and none of them are good. As he takes another step forward, however, another person begins to emerge from the cupboard, to my immense horror. It's a female; a young woman I don't recognize. She's absolutely beautiful with her long, silky blonde hair and green eyes. She gives me the same evil smirk as she, too steps out of the cupboard and walks forward, coming to halt right beside Draco.

"What…what were you doing in there…with her?" I ask, positive that I don't really want the answer. Instead of speaking, Draco wraps his arm around the young woman in response and pulls her close to him. He plants a long kiss on her lips and then turns back to face me. At this point, I feel Pinky tugging on my arm, but I completely ignore her and continue to stare dumbfounded at Draco and this…_bitch_…whoever she is.

I finally find my voice and yell at Draco; "How could you do this to me?" I scream, "I thought you loved me!"

"I never loved you," Draco replies, "How could anyone love _you_?" He and his female companion laugh heartily at this, and I literally feel my heart breaking.

Then, out of nowhere, Pinky's voice booms above my sobs and the duo's continued laughter. "Missus Jayde, don't listen to it!" she cries. "That isn't being Master Draco!"

"How can you say that, Pinky?" I sob, "Look at him! That's Draco! And he just said he doesn't love me!" I feel like I'm dying as I say this aloud; like my life is literally over. I release Pinky's hand and cover my face with my hands, sobbing uncontrollably. This only draws more hyena-like laughter from the other two humans in the room, and their laughter makes me feel even worse.

"No Missus Jayde, don't listen to them! Trust Pinky, that isn't being Master Draco! Please! Look at Pinky!" the house elf cries. I don't listen to her, however, and continue to sob into my hands. Pinky finally comes to stand in front of me and reaches up, prying my hands from my face with all of her might. I look down at her through my tear-streaked, blurry eyes, and she looks up at me pleadingly. "Missus Jayde," she says, "Pinky has never known Master Draco to be as gentle as he is to you! Master Draco is even gentler to Pinky since he has met you! Pinky knows Master Draco loves you, and Pinky knows that _isn't _Master Draco!"

The elf's words somehow make sense to me, and my gaze shifts from her over to the man standing just a short distance away with his arm still wrapped around that woman. He's still laughing rather loudly, and he's still got that smirk on his face. I look him up and down, but can't find one single thing about him that's different than Draco. Though I want to believe Pinky when she says it isn't him, my eyes tell me otherwise. Seeming to know what I'm thinking, Pinky interjects again. "No, Missus Jayde!" she says frantically, "Don't look at him! That isn't Master Draco. Please trust Pinky; Pinky will prove it to you if you just let Pinky get you out of here right now!"

"You can prove it?" I ask weakly, shifting my gaze back down to the house elf once more.

"Yes!" Pinky yells with a hint of terror in her voice.

"But… if that isn't Draco," I begin warily, "Who is it?" I glance back up at the man, who is still staring at me evilly, and several theories immediately begin flooding my head. Several of those theories include long-lost twin brothers and polyjuice potion, but Pinky doesn't allow me to theorize for long.

"Pinky doesn't know who it is, Miss!" she screams, "But Missus Jayde and Pinky has got to get out of here!" Though I still find this whole "not Draco" thing to be hard to believe, I consider the elf's words for a moment. If this is somehow "not Draco", then I'm down here trapped in the dungeons with two strangers. Two strangers who obviously mean me harm and are trying to convince me that Draco doesn't love me; two strangers who could potentially hurt me and my unborn baby, which would in turn hurt Draco… the "real" Draco, that is. I realize that Pinky's absolutely right; I've got to get out of here, now.

"Come on, Pinky, let's go!" I yell as I take her hand once more. The two of us take off at a run, hurrying away from the potential strangers. She and I hurry back up the dungeon corridor and past all five cells and several sets of flaming torches. We've almost reached the stairs that lead back up to the entrance hall when I hear the sound of running footsteps echoing throughout the dungeon. Afraid that the duo is chasing us and will catch us before we make it out of the dungeon, I glance over my shoulder while still running to see how far back they are. That, however, was a big mistake.

When I glance over my shoulder I find that the duo isn't chasing us at all; they're simply walking towards us slowly as though they're sure we can't escape them. Realizing that the echoes of running footsteps were only mine and Pinky's, I mentally kick myself for turning around and costing Pinky and myself valuable time. Before I can whip my neck back around to face the front, I feel a sharp pain in my foot. As I quickly turn my head forwards, I can feel that gravity is beginning to pull me downwards; I'm falling. The next few seconds seem to pass in slow motion; I finally re-focus my eyes ahead of me and realize I'm going to fall straight onto the cement steps…and the point of impact will be my protruding stomach, and therefore, my baby.

Terror overwhelms me and I realize I _have _to do something; I can't let my child be harmed, no matter what harm may befall me. I drop my wand immediately. I thrust my Pinky-free hand in front of me instinctively, hoping to break my fall and keep my stomach from the step's cold, hard edge. My hand comes to rest directly on the corner of a step, but my arm still isn't enough to keep the rest of my body from falling, especially with all this new baby weight and the fact that I was running as fast as I could. The force with which my hand hits the step is enough to send my body swirling around, almost into a flip. I keep my hand rooted to the same spot, however, and hope for the best.

My arm is the only stationary part of my body; the rest of me is twisting to the left involuntarily. I scream in agony a second later when I both hear and feel a loud 'Crack' that lets me know that my arm, unable to bear the strain placed upon it, has broken. Finally done spinning, my body makes full contact with the stairs; thankfully my buttocks are now the point of impact. Though my butt has hit the stairs, and very hard I might add, the momentum I'd built up while running still hasn't been spent. I slide down to the bottom step, my butt hitting each step painfully on the way down, and my broken right arm trailing along behind the rest of me limply.

When the movement finally stops, I'm sitting at the bottom of the stairs with my butt bone throbbing and my right arm cradled in my lap. I've only just now realized that Pinky let go of my hand at some point and is now standing right beside me, clearly very worried. Tears are streaming from my face as the house elf asks what happened. "I… I think I stubbed my toe on the step, and it made me trip," I cry.

"Are you alright, missus?" Pinky asks worriedly.

"No, Pinky, my arm's broken!" I sob. Without another word Pinky snaps two of the fingers on her left hand and vanishes with a loud 'Pop'. Panicking, I look towards the end of the dungeon, where the cupboard and the two people were when I saw them last. To my immense horror, the two people are closing in on me, and now I don't have a wand or even a house elf to defend myself. _Just great_, I think, _Pinky has abandoned me, and now I'm going to die. _


	8. Chapter 8 Escaping the Dungeons

I am unable to believe my rotten luck and the circumstances I've now found myself in. Having fallen and broken my arm, and having been abandoned by my only companion, I resort to the only possible escape I have left from the dungeons; my wand. There's just one problem; I threw my wand to the ground in an effort to keep myself from falling on my stomach and hurting the baby. Looking around on the floor as my two enemies draw closer, I spot my wand to the right and immediately begin trying to scoot towards it. This proves to be very difficult since I can't use my broken right arm, and each time I slide my sore butt bone aches in protest. Nevertheless, I reach my wand relatively quickly and aim it for the imposters headed towards me.

I'm not used to using my left arm to cast spells; my right arm is my wand arm, but considering the circumstances I'll have to improvise. I fire several stunning spells at the Draco look-alike and his female companion, but my unfamiliarity with using my left arm to do magic causes my aim to be very poor. I miss each time I cast a spell but keep trying regardless. The two strangers continue to close in on me, however, their devilish smirks still haunting my eyes. They reach the area in front of me just seconds later, despite my continued efforts to stop them, but don't bend down to try and touch me. Instead, the Draco-ish imposter simply looks down at me and repeats, "I don't love you; I never loved you. And I don't want the baby, either," before turning to his female companion and starting a full-fledged make-out session right there in front of me.

Unable to bear this offensive sight, I close my eyes…but it's too late. Even though Pinky swore to me that this isn't Draco and that she can prove it, it still makes my heart ache to see this. I burst into tears again as the couple in front of me begin to grope on each other and continue to kiss passionately. As I continue to cry, however, I hear a frightened male voice call out to me. The voice isn't in my ears, however, it's deep within my mind; it's Draco's voice.

"Jayde!" he calls frantically, "Are you okay? Pinky's here, she says you're hurt!"

My sobbing ends abruptly as I look up at the man and woman before me, still heavily into their heated snogging session. If this man is so heavily interested in this make-out session right in front of me, he wouldn't have time or a reason to speak to me through his mind. Furthermore, Draco's voice in my head said "Pinky's here," and she's certainly not anywhere near me. So Pinky was right; this _isn't _Draco! And Pinky? She didn't abandon me; she went to the Ministry to get Draco…for help!

I'm awed by this turn of events, but still continue to stare up at the kissing couple, now curious as to who they are and what they're trying to accomplish by upsetting me. Furthermore, I worry what they're planning on doing to me whenever they decide to stop kissing. Lost in my thoughts, I forget to answer Draco, who calls out to me frantically once more. "JAYDE!" he yells, "ANSWER ME!"

Not even attempting to lie and tell Draco I'm fine, I simply reply, "I need you…now," to him through my thoughts.

"I'm already on my way, love" he says, "But I can get to you faster if you unlock the fireplace at home. Can you do that?"

"I…I don't know," I reply shakily, "I'll try."

Very painfully I manage to get to my feet, miraculously doing so without alerting the kissing couple that I'm about to attempt to escape. I slowly and carefully take a step backwards, onto the first of the series of steps. I slide my foot backwards and feel around for the edge of the next step, and take another step back and upwards when I find it. I continue this process at a snail's pace for several moments. Finally as I feel around for another step, I realize that there isn't one and discover that I've reached the first of two landings between here and the entrance hall. Too afraid to turn my back on the two impostors, who I somehow have still not interrupted, I turn to the left slightly and walk backwards on the landing slowly until I feel the bump that lets me know I've reached the second flight of stairs.

I slowly begin making my way up this flight of stairs also, with my right arm hugged close to my side and my left hand still wrapped tightly around my wand. Once I've reached the fourth step in this series, I can no longer see the two people on the dungeon floor below and continue to creep upwards, hoping for the best. I reach the second and final landing without a moment's trouble and turn slightly to the left once more, making my way across the landing and to the bottom of the final set of stairs leading out of the dungeons. _If I ever get out of here_, I think to myself, _I swear I'll never come down here again!_

I back up a few more steps and then feel the cold, firm wood of the door leading from the entrance hall against my back. "Oh thank Merlin!" I exclaim, and I quickly turn around and try to open the door with my left hand. My wand still being in it, though, makes it very difficult, so I finally open my mouth and grip my wand between my teeth, freeing up my hand to allow me to open the door. I open the door and step through it before whirling around and slamming it shut. Then I take my wand from between my teeth and magically lock the door, to keep the intruders from escaping the dungeons. I immediately lean my head against the door and sob, out of frustration, fear, and pain, but more than any of the rest of these; out of relief. I rest my head here for a few moments, and then I hear Draco's frightened voice call out to me once more.

"Darling," he says, "Please unlock the fireplace so I can get to you!"

"I'm trying to get to the fireplace," I reply. I immediately remove my head from the door and turn around before making my way to the fireplace. "How do I unlock it?" I ask Draco through my thoughts.

"Tap it with your wand three times and say the password, 'Peacocks'" he replies.

I slowly lift my wand with my left hand and tap the fireplace three times, as Draco commanded. Then I quietly say "Peacocks" and tell Draco, "It's done."

Unable to stand through the pain any longer, I slowly make my way to the right, into the drawing room. I walk over to the nearest sofa, a black silk one with large, poofy cushions, and flop down onto it, taking care not to hurt my already injured right arm. I close my eyes as tears of pain slowly continue to run down my cheeks, and a moment later I hear the whooshing noise that lets me know that Draco's just arrived via the Floo Network. I hear him tap his wand on the mantle and mutter the password, relocking the fireplace, and then he frantically begins searching for me. "Jayde? Jayde!" he calls, a hint of panic clearly audible in his voice.

"I'm here!" I call weakly from my spot on the sofa in the Drawing Room, and I immediately hear his dress-shoe-clad feet running towards the sound of my voice. I see his suited form appear in the Drawing Room doorway and fresh tears start pouring from my eyes, unable to hide the fear and pain I've been through in the past few moments. I slowly sit up and face forward as Draco rushes towards me, his eyes wide and his skin even more pale than it normally is.

"Darling, what happened?" he asks as he kneels in front of me and places his hand on my face. "Are you hurt?"

"Mmhmm," I whimper, burying my head against his neck as I sob onto his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me and accidentally bumps my right arm in the process, causing me to wince in pain.

"What? What is it?" he asks, clearly terrified as he jerks his arms from around me.

"My arm," I cry; I can't help but think to myself that I sound like a two-year-old.

"Let me see," he says quietly, before sitting back on his heels and leaning to the right to look at my arm. He slowly and carefully touches my arm in several places, causing frightened and pained jerks from me, and then he asks me if I can move it.

"No!" I exclaim, "It hurts too much!"

"Baby, how did this happen?" he asks as he looks from my arm back up to my face, "Your arm is broken!" The look on his face is a clear combination of confusion and sympathy, and his eyes are filled with water.

_Crap_ I think to myself; I hadn't worked out what I was going to tell Draco when he asked _how _this had happened! If I tell him the truth, that I was snooping around the Manor and went down into the dungeons, he'll be angry with me for endangering myself and the baby. But I can't _lie _to him! Not sure what I should say, I simply start crying again and bury my head against his shoulder once more.

"Baby, _how _did this _happen?_" he asks again.

"I can't!" I reply through tears, "You'll be angry with me!"

"No I won't, love," he promises, "Not at all! I just want to know how you hurt yourself!"

Still not answering him, I continue to hold on to him and sob into his shoulder, thankful when, a few moments later, he changes the subject. "There, there, love," he calls, carefully wrapping his arms around me once more and placing a hand on the back of my head in an effort to soothe me. "Shhh…" he says. "Why don't you lie down, darling, and try to calm down, too?" he asks.

"Oh..okay," I reply, and I allow Draco to ease me onto my back on the couch. He kisses my forehead and then gets to his feet. Then he turns around and walks away from me for a moment, placing his hands on the top of his head out of what I take to be pure frustration.

_He's already getting angry with me, and he doesn't even know what I did yet,_ I think to myself. As if somehow hearing my thoughts again when I wasn't intending for him to, Draco turns around to face me and walks back over to the side of the couch.

"I'm not upset with you," he says, "I'm just a little worried."

"About what?" I ask quietly.

"You" he says simply. "I'm going to have to fix your arm."

"Oh," I say, glad to hear that he's not angry. "Well I don't mind, I trust you to fix it; go ahead," I reply.

"It's not that, love," he says slowly. "It's going to…hurt you, when I fix your arm," he continues in a pained voice. "It'll feel almost as bad as it did when you _broke _your arm."

Draco's words ignite a fear in me; I don't know if I can stand that kind of pain again. I refuse to let him see how afraid I am, however, and take a deep breath in to calm my nerves. "Well let's go ahead and get it out of the way, then," I say in what I hope is a determined tone.

"Darling, I…I don't know if I can," he says weakly. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Baby, you said it yourself," I reply, "It has to be done, and the sooner the better. Go ahead."

"Are…are you sure?" he asks cautiously.

"Absolutely," I reply.

"Ok then," he says, pulling his wand from his pocket. "On the count of three," he continues. He sets his jaw as though trying to force himself to commit to performing the act, and I nod my head in agreement. "One, two," he says weakly. I close my eyes and take a deep breath in as he says "three", and then I hear him say "Episkey", unable to contain the break in his voice as he does so.

As soon as the word leaves his mouth, I feel and hear another 'Crack' as the broken bone in my arm pops back into place. I scream and writhe in agony, and I hear Draco's wand hit the floor. I open my eyes and roll onto my side to see that Draco has gotten to his knees beside me once more, and he's pulling me closer to him. "I'm sorry, love, I'm so sorry!" he exclaims. I rest my head against his chest and cry, and I can feel tiny wet drops falling onto my face, alerting me to the fact that Draco's crying, too. We simply sit there in silence crying for a few moments, but finally Draco dries his eyes and leans backwards, pulling away so that he can look at me.

"Come on, love," he says, "Sit up and tell me what happened." I slowly sit upright, with Draco's aid. He wipes the tears from my face and looks into my eyes, silently begging me to tell him what happened. Finally deciding to just tell him the truth and deal with the consequences of my stupid actions, I slowly begin.

"I…I was bored," I say calmly, "And your Mum wasn't here. I went downstairs to eat lunch and I heard one of the maids tell a house elf that she'd send him to the dungeons if he didn't listen to her."

"The dungeons?" Draco asks, interrupting me. "Darling, please tell me you didn't go into the dungeons," he says. I can't answer him, I immediately begin sobbing uncontrollably and am unable to continue. "Shhh…" he says in an effort to soothe me.

"I was upset. I wondered why you hadn't told me about the dungeons," I reply.

"Because there's nothing to tell, darling," Draco says, "There are no prisoners down there, as I'm sure you found out. This house is old and has been through my family for generations; the dungeons were only used during times of war."

"Well I didn't know that then!" I exclaim. "I thought you just didn't tell me about the dungeons so it wouldn't upset me!"

"I'm sorry, dear," Draco says, "I shouldn't have interrupted; I should have given you a chance to explain. Go on, finish your story, love."

I take a moment to calm down before continuing. "I wanted to find the dungeons, so I started in the…drawing room," I say quietly. "I went through that door and found your D…Dad's potion room and…and then the bathroom."

"And then the house elves' quarters," Draco interjects, to which I nod my head in response.

"I found Pinky down there," I continue. "Wait! Where's Pinky?" I ask frantically as I've just now realized the house elf didn't return when Draco did.

"I sent her for Mrs. Taylor," he says, "She told me you were hurt so I thought we'd probably need her."

"Oh no," I say warily, "She's going to fuss at me."

Draco can't help but laugh at this; "Yes, she probably will," he says as he places a hand on my stomach, "But I need to know that you two are alright. Now go on."

"Well, I made some changes to the house elves' quarters…" I begin carefully.

Draco raises one eyebrow suspiciously and asks "What kind of changes?"

"Well, they didn't have any fireplaces, so I gave them two," I reply. "And they didn't have any windows or beds in their quarters, so I gave them windows and beds, too. I know I probably shouldn't have interfered, but they keep this house running and they deserve better. Do you think your parents will be angry with me?"

"I'll talk to my Father about it, my little cherub," Draco replies with a smile, "It'll be fine."

"Why are you smiling?" I ask him.

"Because you're always so concerned for every living thing," he replies. "You really are an angel; _my _angel." I can't help but tear up again at his tender words; just a short while ago I thought he was in the dungeons telling me he didn't love me as he snogged another woman. "So what happened next?" he asks.

"Well, I asked Pinky if she'd show me where the dungeons were, and she said yes," I reply.

"Wait? Pinky actually _agreed_ to take you to the dungeons?" he asks, something changing in his face as he does.

"Yes…" I reply, "Why?"

"She's going to be in trouble when she gets home," he says angrily, "She knows better than to let you go down there, especially in your condition. But to actually escort you down there?"

"No, Draco, please don't be angry at her!" I interrupt. "I was going down there with or without her; it wasn't her fault. If anything, she saved my life by being down there with me and then going for you. Besides, I told her to do something; she _had _to listen."

"No, darling," he replies, "It doesn't work that way. According to wizard law, house elves don't _have _to listen to anyone who isn't a legal family member of their masters. Pinky and the other house elves aren't required to listen to you until we're married."

"Oh…" I reply, admittedly a little hurt by Draco referring to me as a non-family member. Once again, Draco somehow knows what I'm thinking.

"Darling, I already consider you to be my wife, and my parents do too," he says, trying to cheer me up. "It's just a 'Ministry' thing, _they _don't recognize you as my wife yet, that's all. But they will soon enough." He gives me a kiss on the cheek and smiles at me, and I smile in response; he always knows how to make me feel better. "Now please, go on with your story," he says.

"Well, Pinky took me to the dungeon, and everything was fine," I begin, "But then I found a man down there."

"A man?" Draco asks. "Darling, are you sure you didn't just _think _you saw a man? Like that time you saw my Dad's cloak and thought it was a person?"

"No, it wasn't like that!" I reply. "It was a man. He had a face and he walked and talked and everything." I watch terror and anger build up inside Draco as I confirm that I didn't just imagine this man. I can't help but think 'he had _your _face' as I speak to Draco, and seriously consider telling him that, but Draco speaks before I get the chance to.

"What did he look like? Who was he? Where is he now?" he asks as he grabs hold of my arms and pulls me closer, desperately seeking the answers to his questions. "I swear on Merlin's pants, Jayde, if he laid ONE FINGER on you, I'll kill him!" Draco's grey eyes are frantic as he asks this, and I place my hands on the side of his face to calm him.

"He didn't touch me," I reply, "And he's still down there; I locked him in." Draco gets to his feet and grabs his wand angrily, and I know he's headed for the dungeons, but I feel I must prepare him for what he's about to see. "No, Draco, wait!" I yell as I get to my feet and grab his arm, pulling him back close to me. I've never seen Draco this angry, he's practically shaking. "Baby, the man in there…he's," I begin.

"Oh, I know what he is!" Draco says, "He's as good as dead!" He tries to pull away from me but I refuse to release him; he needs to know that he's going down there to face himself.

"Draco, please stop and just listen to me!" I beg. Hearing the panic in my voice, Draco turns back to look at me with confusion clearly expressed on his face. "It's _you,_" I say solemnly, hoping Draco won't think I'm completely nutters.

"Me?" he asks incredulously, "What're you on about?"

Though I feel like a big baby, I can't help it; I start crying all over again. Seeing this, Draco calms down some and comes back over to stand in front of me. He puts his wand in his pocket. Then he wraps his arms around me and pulls me close to him, and I lay my head on his shoulder. "Calm down, love," he says. "Tell me what happened."

"It was you!" I sob. "You came out of the cupboard with some girl and you said you didn't love me! And then you started snogging her! And Pinky said it wasn't you but it looked just like you! So Pinky and I ran but I tripped over the stairs! And I didn't want to hurt the baby so I threw my arm out to keep from falling and that's how my arm broke! It was stupid to go down there and I'm _sorry!"_

"Wait? I was down there with some girl and I told you I didn't love you?" he asks.

"Mhmm," I reply, nodding my head against his shoulder. I pull away from him and look into his face, and I can tell that he's thinking really hard about something. Then, all of a sudden, realization dawns on Draco's face and he gives me a tender look and wipes the tears from my eyes before speaking again.

"Don't cry, love," he says, "There's nothing to be afraid of. I completely forgot for a moment, but Dad told me a long time ago that there's a boggart in the dungeons."


	9. Chapter 9 Draco's Boggart

I stare up at Draco for a moment, completely dumbfounded by what he's just said. "A boggart?" I ask, "That's who... er... I mean, _what_ was down there pretending to be you? I ran from bloody boggart; a shape-shifter?"

"Yes," he replies, "And you should have. Had it kept scaring you like that, you'd probably have lost control of your powers and blacked out."

"Are you sure?" I ask him skeptically, "Because it looked and acted just like you."

"Yes, darling," he replies. "Boggarts take the shape of whatever a person fears the most; they're different for every person."

"I know that!" I reply sarcastically, "I just can't believe that was nothing more than a freaking boggart. I feel so stupid!"

I look down at the floor, unable to keep looking Draco in the eye after finding out that all this; me breaking my arm and Pinky calling him home from work early, was for nothing more than a boggart. Sensing this, Draco places his hand underneath my chin and lifts my head so that I'm looking into his eyes. He's looking down at me tenderly, with a very sincere expression on his face.

"It's flattering to know that what you fear most is losing me, but you don't ever have to worry about that," he says. "You shouldn't fear that I'll stop loving you, or that I'll ever love someone else _or_ cheat on you, because I never will."

"I… I just can't believe that was a boggart," I repeat a few moments later, admittedly a little embarrassed that Draco now _knows _that what I fear most is losing him.

"Can you walk?" he asks me immediately afterwards.

"Yes, I think so," I reply, "Why?"

"I'll prove it," he replies. "Come with me; we'll face this thing together. We need to put it back in the cupboard anyway. If someone doesn't know and they open that door, we'll have a boggart loose in the house, jumping out and scaring everyone from behind every corner."

"What? You mean, go back down there?" I ask incredulously. "No, I'm never going into the dungeons again!"

"Come on, love," Draco says, "I want to show you that there's nothing to be afraid of. I won't let anything happen to you; you know that, don't you?"

"Y… yes," I say quietly.

"Well come on, then," he says. "We won't be facing your boggart anyway, we'll be facing mine."

At this, Draco smiles at me and extends his hand for me to take. I consider it for a moment. I'm actually a bit surprised that Draco's willing to show me his boggart; it's really considered to be a very private thing in the wizarding world. To be willing to show someone the inner workings of your mind and heart, what really scares you, speaks volumes as to how emotionally close the two of you are, and how much you trust them. After all, one could potentially tell someone else what your deepest fear is. I realize now that I just, without meaning to, told Draco what my boggart is, but I honestly don't regret that. I love him very much and wouldn't hesitate one moment to go back in time and tell him my boggart all over again; I trust him that much. Taking this into consideration, I finally give in and take Draco's hand, allowing him to lead me back through the drawing room, across the entrance hall, and to the dungeon door. It's still somewhat painful when I walk, as my buttocks are still sore and probably bruised, but I say nothing and continue to follow Draco's lead.

"Have you got your wand, love?" he asks.

"Yes," I reply, extending my wand out in front of me, clutched tightly in my freshly-healed right arm. Draco releases my hand and extends his wand in front of him, and without another word, he unlocks and opens the door and begins making his way down the first flight of stairs. I begin the descent directly behind him.

"Hold on to me," he says quietly, "And please be careful."

I take hold of his shirt and allow him to lead me down the first flight of stairs, and when we reach the first landing I can see that my boggart is still in place; the fake Draco and blonde girl are still standing in the same spot I left them in, snogging. Though I know it's not real and even have the real Draco right beside me, it still makes my heart hurt to see this, and I take a deep, ragged breath in and nearly start crying again.

"It's okay, love," Draco says, "It's not real. Once it sees me it will turn into my deepest fear; you can close your eyes until it does if you want." I immediately shut my eyes tight and allow Draco to lead me blindly down the second flight of stairs, to the second landing. "It's kind of strange, seeing myself like this," Draco says quietly. As we continue down into the dungeons, a question pops into my mind; one that I wish I'd asked before agreeing to come down here and face Draco's boggart.

"Draco," I ask, "What exactly _is _your biggest fear?"

"I don't rightly know, love," he says, "I've never faced a boggart before. I've only studied about them in Defense Against the Dark Arts class."

"Me, too," I reply.

Then, all of a sudden, Draco calls out to the boggart, almost as if to antagonize it. I think this is a bad idea, but by the time I can express this opinion, Draco's already finished speaking. "You've got some nerve," he says to the creature. "Scaring her like that! You should be ashamed! You're such a liar; it's obvious that the only person I ever want to be kissing is her. I'd have to be _crazy _to cheat on her; not that it's ever going to happen because I never will. It's time for you to go back into that cupboard!"

Though I really don't like Draco egging the boggart on like that, I get the feeling he's only putting on a show in front of me and can't help but chuckle to myself. My chuckling stops, however, when I hear a whooshing sound and Draco stops dead in his tracks. He takes a deep breath in and I automatically know that the boggart's changed into what Draco fears the most. Because I know Draco to be very brave and can't think of anything he's afraid of, I'm scared to open my eyes to see what this boggart has become for him. I know, however, that it can't be as bad as my boggart was for me, so I finally convince myself to open my eyes, hoping I'll be able to help Draco face whatever his boggart is. I feel Draco shudder involuntarily beside me and slowly separate my eyelids, allowing only a small portion of the image before me to come into focus at a time.

When my eyes are finally completely open, I notice that Draco's boggart isn't standing; it's on the ground. I look down to find that the boggart has turned into a coffin made of cherry wood lying in front of us, and inside it? None other than _me_. I immediately know exactly what Draco meant earlier when he said it's kind of strange seeing yourself like this. The boggart looks _exactly _like me, just as mine had looked exactly like Draco. It's wearing a different set of clothes, but other than that it's my identical twin. The boggart even has the baby bump. Though I already knew what I was coming down here to see, the significance of this sight doesn't dawn upon me until a few seconds later. The boggart has become me, in a coffin, because my death is what scares Draco the most.

My eyes widen and my jaw drops, and I turn my head to look at Draco. His eyes are frozen on the faux coffin in front of us, and the expression on his face is the saddest one I've ever seen. Tears are quickly building up in the corners of his eyes, though I can tell he's trying to fight them. His wand arm is extended, but shaking, and he's biting his lower lip. I can tell he's trying his best to gather the resolve to defeat the boggart, but it won't seem to come to him. In the hopes of helping him, I whisper in his ear. "Darling, just remember… it's not real," I say. As though he's just been shaken awake from a bad dream, Draco gives a small, involuntary jerk and sets his jaw, finally finding the strength he needs to face the creature.

"I know, love," he replies. "The only problem is, you're supposed to turn your boggart into something funny in order to defeat it; and I can't think of anything funny… there's nothing funny about this." Draco gulps loudly and I can tell he's about to zone out again, so I try my best to help. I come up with the funniest thing I can think of, given the situation, and tell Draco about it.

"What if you had me… er… I mean, it, sit up and start dancing. That'd be kind of funny."

"You're… you're right ," he says. He gulps again and then straightens his wand arm once more, aiming it directly at the "me" impersonator. "Riddikulus!" he says loudly as he flicks his wand toward the boggart. Immediately, the boggart sits up like a mummy, gets out of the coffin, and starts dancing. Draco and I both start laughing, since laughter is one of the things that really finishes a boggart off. We both have to force the laughter, however, as this situation really isn't funny at all. The boggart dances on its toes like a ballerina, and Draco directs it over to the cupboard. Then the me-boggart dances right into the cupboard and Draco flicks his wand again, slamming the doors closed behind it and immediately locking them.

The boggart immediately begins jumping around in the cupboard and causing the same thumping noise that had made me curious earlier. As soon as the boggart is locked back in the cupboard, Draco lowers his wand and turns to me, wrapping me in his arms tightly. I wrap my arms around his neck in response and pull him close. He takes several deep breaths in and I run my fingers through his hair, trying to comfort him without making him feel like a big baby. He continues to stand there holding me for a few moments, and then finally pulls away from me. "Let's get out of this stupid bloody dungeon," he says quietly.

He pockets his wand, and I do the same, and he takes my hand and begins leading me up towards the entrance hall. We reach the entrance hall a few moments later and close the dungeon door, locking it behind us. Almost immediately, we hear a loud 'pop' that tells us Pinky has arrived, and as we turn to face her we notice that Mrs. Taylor is with her, her medical bag in hand. "Oh my goodness, Jayde!" Mrs. Taylor says. "The house elf nearly scared me to death! I need somewhere to examine you, dear."

"We can do it in the drawing room," Draco says, wrapping an arm around my waist and indicating the drawing room to our right with his unoccupied right arm. Mrs. Taylor walks into the drawing room ahead of us, and Draco and I follow immediately, Pinky hot on our heels. Draco has me sit down on the same sofa I'd been laying on earlier when he got home, and Mrs. Taylor pulls her wand from her medical bag.

"Now, what happened?" she asks. Draco relays to her the story of my encounter with the boggart, and she immediately asks which parts of my body were affected. I explain to her that my arm was broken and then admit that I fell on my buttocks as well, and she begins performing several spells, including the ones she normally performs when I go to her office for my check-up. Finally, a few moments later, she concludes her examination. "Well, your buttocks are a little bruised and will probably be sore for a few days, but other than that, everything's fine."

Draco, who has been sitting beside me on the couch this whole time, breathes a sigh of relief and pulls me into a hug. Mrs. Taylor turns around and begins putting her wand away in her medicine bag. When she's finished, she turns back to me. "I'll be going now," she says. "And Jayde, darling, _please _try to be more careful!" Draco stands up and shakes her hand, as do I, and she takes Pinky's hand. Pinky immediately disapparates with Mrs. Taylor in tow, and Draco leans in and kisses me on the forehead.

"I have to say I agree with Mrs. Taylor," he says, "You've really got to be more careful; I hate it that these things always happen to _you._"


	10. Chapter 10 Mudbloods and Squibs

After Mrs. Taylor's home visit, Draco decides not to go back to work. He opts, instead, to spend the rest of the day with me. I get the strange feeling that this is because he's afraid I'll hurt myself again, but when I question him about this he adamantly denies it. He sends an owl to the Minister of Magic to let him know why he's left work. Thankfully, he leaves out the more embarrassing information and simply says that I fell and broke my arm. I feel like a child because Draco had to leave work to come take care of me, and I feel guilty for making him miss work, though I don't express these feelings to him.

Immediately after he sends his owl to the Minister, I drag him into our bedroom to show him the names I chose from the baby name book this morning. He says that he, too, likes the boy names I've picked out, though I insist that he doesn't have to agree with me just to make me feel better. After all, this is his child, too! He continues to assure me that he loves the names I've chosen, however, and even tries combining them with "Draco", which we've already decided will be the baby's middle name if it's a boy, to see how they'll sound together. When I tell him my idea about what we should name the baby if it's a girl, he says that he thinks naming our potential daughter 'Neta Caroline' would be the perfect way to honor my two mothers. He says he absolutely _loves _that name.

When we've finished discussing names he takes the name book from me and places it on the wooden nightstand beside the bed. Then he slings his feet onto the bed and scoots back, resting his back against the pillows at the head of the bed. He extends his arm and summons me to his side, and I quickly but carefully slide closer to him, my butt-bone throbbing all the while. I rest my head on his shoulder as he wraps his arm around me. I take a deep breath in and relax, and a few moments later I realize I'm close to falling asleep. Draco kisses my forehead and speaks to me softly. "We're going to have to find something for you to do while I'm at work," he says, "Because I was really worried when Pinky told me you were hurt today. I don't know what I'd do if anything more serious had happened to you; it already scares me enough that you broke your arm."

"Well, what do you suggest then?" I ask sleepily.

"I don't know, love," he says, "But we've got to figure out something. I'd even be willing to let Weasley and the mud… I mean, Granger, come here if it meant keeping you occupied and out of harm's way."

I gasp at Draco's almost-use of the word 'mudblood' to refer to my friend; he knows how much I hate that derogatory term used to describe a first-generation witch or wizard. I assume that's why he corrected himself while he was speaking, because he looked straight into my eyes when he said 'Granger'. Suddenly wide awake, I lean up out of Draco's arms and rotate my body to the left, so that I'm facing him. Apparently knowing what's coming, Draco begins apologizing. "I'm sorry, love," he says. "I forgot who I was talking to for a moment. That was very disrespectful of me; I know how much you hate that word."

"Forgot who you were talking to?" I ask. "You mean you still use that word in front of other people?" Draco stares down at the bed with confusion written all over his face. He clearly doesn't understand why it would upset me if he said 'mudblood' to someone else. Hoping to make it very clear, I start explaining. "Draco, I don't believe there's any difference between first-generation wizards and purebloods. I know that's just how you were brought up, but I was raised to believe that nobody is any better or any worse than anyone else."

"I know, love," he replies, patting my arm in a soothing way.

"And it's important to me that our child is raised with the same values that Ms. Fitzpatrick instilled in me," I continue. "I don't want any of this 'mudblood/pureblood' war nonsense rubbing off on our baby."

"And I couldn't agree more," Draco says, "I don't want our child turning out like me."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with our baby turning out like you," I reply softly, "But what you've got to think about are the possibilities. Just because we're both purebloods doesn't mean our baby will be. I'm not saying I _want _this to happen, but what if our child turned out to be a squib?"

Though I wasn't finished speaking at this point, Draco interrupts. He's clearly horrified by my suggestion. "Oh no!" he says loudly, his eyebrows raised almost to his hairline. "There's _no way_ our child will be born without powers; our child _can't _be a squib."

"You don't know that, Draco," I reply. I make to continue but Draco cuts me off again.

"Yes, I do!" he says, almost angrily. "The Malfoys have been purebloods for centuries; _no Malfoy is going to end up being a squib! _Especially not our child!"

"Darling, I know it's not something you want to think about, but just hear me out for a moment," I say quietly. "What would happen if, by some crazy circumstance, our child was born a squib?"

"It would be humiliating!" Draco replies matter-of-factly.

"I know that, love," I reply, "But what I asked you is what would _happen_. Would you be angry at _me, _as though it were somehow my fault? Would you be upset to the point of leaving me and abandoning the baby? Would you even _love _our baby if it was a squib?" My eyes well up with tears as I ask this, and I watch as Draco's face softens in turn. He pulls me close to him and rests my head on his shoulder and his hand on my stomach.

"Nothing could make me leave you, or stop loving you _or the baby_," he says. "I really don't know what else to say... I can't promise how I'd react at first because it hasn't happened yet. But could we _please _stop talking about this? I don't even want to think about it." Though Draco's answer to my questions hasn't _completely _satisfied me, I decide to stop talking about it; it's obviously upsetting him very much.

"So what _am _I going to do while you're at work from now on?" I ask, quickly changing the subject.

"Like I said," Draco replies, "I don't care if you have your friends over here; you'll just have to turn the pictures around to keep them from screaming at your friends."

"I've got a better idea," I reply, "Why don't I just go to the Burrow to see my friends?"

"I don't think that's such a great idea," Draco replies instantly.

"Why not?" I ask. Draco doesn't answer at first and we sit there in silence for a moment, but then I look up at him and indicate that I'm still waiting for his response.

"Because _Potter _will be there and I don't want him to try anything with you!" he finally blurts out.

"Harry's still angry at me for coming back to you," I reply, "He probably won't even speak to me." This statement seems to cheer Draco up a bit, but he's still not convinced.

"But if he's upset at you, he's likely to start an argument. And I can't have you getting upset and losing control, especially not over there. I don't want you or the baby getting hurt."

"Harry isn't going to start an argument," I say quietly. There's an awkward silence for a moment, but then I finally find the right words that I know will put an end to this dispute. "Would you rather for me to go to the Burrow and spend time with my friends or stay here and explore the Manor and fall and break my arm again.. or worse?" I ask. I realize this isn't really a fair question and the look on Draco's face tells me he's thinking the same thing, but it's created the desired effect nonetheless. Draco takes a deep breath in and stares into my eyes for a moment before answering.

"Oh, all right then," he says, "I really hate that you're cooped up in the house all the time anyway. But you've got to promise me that you'll be careful."

"You know I will, love," I reply. And then in my excitement over the fact that I'll now have something to do while Draco's at work, I lean up and kiss him tenderly. We make out for several minutes and then Draco pulls away from me, smiling.

"So what would you like to do with the rest of our unexpected day together, love?" he asks.

"That depends," I begin, "What's the weather like outside today?"

"It's nice," he replies, "Kind of hot, actually. Why? Were you thinking of taking a walk around the grounds?"

"Well, I was," I reply, "But I really prefer cooler weather."

"I know," Draco replies, nodding his head in agreement.

"I wish there was some way I could go outside without getting hot; I really _hate _being hot," I say.

"What if we went for a swim?" Draco asks. "That'd keep you cool."

"That's a great idea, love!" I say excitedly. "I hadn't thought of that before!"

"Well what are you waiting for then?" he asks, "Go get into your swimsuit already!" I lean up and kiss Draco again and then carefully slide off the bed as Draco does the same. I walk slowly over to the closet and begin tearing through my clothes frantically, searching for my bathing suit. When I find it, I walk over to the bathroom as Draco begins digging through the closet in search of his swimming trunks. As I enter the bathroom I wonder if I should be swimming right now, since my buttocks are still so sore, but I figure the exercise could only help with the soreness and stiffness. I close the bathroom door and slowly begin peeling off my clothes, before stepping into my two-piece lavender and white bathing suit.

I pull up the bottom piece, which doesn't sit as high up on my hips as it once did because it's got more belly to fit around now. I begin fumbling with the top, which doesn't seem to want to fit anymore now that my breasts have grown so much since becoming pregnant. I realize I'll have to stretch the top to get it to fit, and might as well stretch the bottom a bit while I'm at it. I call out to Draco; "Could you bring me my wand?" I ask him.

A few moments later I hear him knock on the bathroom door. "Here you go love," he calls. "I have to ask though," he continues, "Why do you need your wand to get dressed?"

"Because of _your baby_," I reply sarcastically.

"Oh," is Draco's only response.

"Just slide my wand under the door," I call back to him. Draco immediately obeys and I lean down and grab my wand, aiming it at the bikini top in a very frustrated way. I enlarge the top and pull it on, placing my wand on the counter top as I do so. Then I enlarge the bottom a bit as well, and pull it up a little higher on my stomach. I pick up my abandoned clothes and toss them into the nearby hamper for the maids to come collect and wash later, and then walk over to the counter once more. I turn to the side and gaze up into mirror that sits above the sink, trying to make sure I don't look _too _horrible. After all, this will be the first time Draco's seen me in my bikini.

I stare at my reflection, starting at the neck, and look down, glancing at my breasts. _Okay_, I think to myself, _looking good so far_. Then, however, I glance even further down on my reflection; at my mid-section. Horrified, my eyes widen and I place my hands on my stomach; my baby belly looks _extremely _unattractive in this suit. Bikinis are supposed to make you look sexy, but my baby bump makes me look like a small whale. Though I'd love to go swimming, I simply cannot let Draco see me like this. "I'm sorry, love," I call out, "But I don't think I'm going swimming after all. Maybe I can sit beside the pool while you swim."

"What? Why?" Draco asks from his spot outside the bathroom door, clearly confused.

"I look horrible," I reply, "My stomach is huge."

"Honey, I'm sure you look lovely," he says, "Stop being so ridiculous. I love you, regardless of what you wear; you're the most beautiful woman in the world. And I don't care how big your stomach gets, either. It's carrying my child; therefore it's also beautiful to me."

"I don't know.." I begin, but Draco won't have any of it. Without another word, he flings the bathroom door open, nearly scaring me half to death. I quickly turn around and frantically try to hide my belly from him; "Draco!" I call out loudly, slightly perturbed. I feel extremely self-conscious; I'm practically naked and it's the first time Draco's seen me so nearly nude. Draco says nothing in response and I simply stand there awkwardly for a moment before craning my neck to look over my shoulder at him; to see what he's doing and why he's being so quiet.

When he's in my line of sight, however, I'm surprised to find that he isn't doing anything at all; he's simply standing there mid-step, shirtless and in his swimming trunks, with his hand still on the doorknob and his eyes and mouth open wide. I'm almost tempted into a hormonal frenzy at the site of his muscular bare chest, but the discomfort of the situation quickly redirects my thoughts. "Draco!" I call over my shoulder again, feeling more and more embarrassed with each passing second. Draco gives an involuntary twitch and suddenly snaps back to reality, his eyes resting now directly on mine and the glossed-over look quickly fading from them.

"Um... I'm... s… sexy… I mean, sorry... um... MERLIN! I'm sorry!" he says, finally getting the phrase correct.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" I ask timidly. Draco slowly walks over to where I'm standing in response. He wraps his arms around me; they come to rest on top of mine, which are lying on my stomach. He presses the front of his nearly-bare body against the back of mine. With him now being so close to me, I have to turn my neck back towards the front to be able to see him, and he rests his lips against my ear.

"Because you look _amazing_," he replies. Chills shoot down my spine from the sensuality of both his voice and breath in my ear, and I'm amazed at just how quickly and easily he can make me want him. Draco leans his head down and sucks on my nearly-bare right shoulder and kisses a trail all the way up my neck. I close my eyes and enjoy the moment, and then Draco straightens up and speaks into my ear again. "Turn around, love," he says, "Let me see you."

He removes his hands from my stomach and places them, instead, on my shoulders. He slowly begins to gently push on my shoulder, swiveling me around to face him. I seriously consider planting my feet firmly in front of me at first, not allowing him to turn me, but I quickly give in to the sensation his touch is giving me and allow myself to be turned. I open my eyes and look up as I turn, wanting to see Draco's initial reaction to my appearance. I keep my hands, however, atop my stomach, still partially guarding it from view. Once he's got me directly facing him, Draco slowly removes my hands from my stomach and drops them to my sides.

He looks at me, beginning with my eyes and slowly beginning to survey the rest of my body, head to toe. I find myself unable to look at him as he does so, afraid of the reaction I'd see in his face if he doesn't like what he sees. I stare, instead, down at the floor, waiting for any indication of Draco's opinion. When I notice that his breathing has become labored a few seconds later, I brave a look up into his face. He's staring at me wide-eyed again, and when I ask him what's wrong he simply stares into my eyes longingly and replies, "Mrs. Malfoy… your body looks even better than I'd imagined... if that's even possible. You look so good it _hurts _to look at you; you are a _goddess_." I blush but shake my head and look away, but Draco grabs the bottom of my chin with his forefinger and pulls my face upwards to meet his. "Yes, you are," he insists. He plants a tender but passionate kiss on my lips but pulls away immediately when I begin to participate. "If I start that now, we'll never make it to the swimming pool and there will be no stopping me... especially now that I've seen you like _that_," he explains, indicating my bikini-clad body as he says _that_. I can't help but think that I, personally, wouldn't mind if we didn't make it out to the swimming pool.


	11. Chapter 11 The Burrow Again

Once we finally manage to peel our hands off each other and make it outside, Draco and I spend the majority of the rest of the afternoon swimming, making sure to take breaks often so I don't get sunburned or too exhausted. Though I always find him extremely attractive, each time Draco steps out of the pool I can't help but think that he looks like a sex-god, with the way the beads of water roll down his washboard-like abdomen and the way he brushes his wet hair backwards with his hand, moving the wet locks away from his eyes. I'm fairly sure Draco realizes how badly the sight of him is tempting me; though he pretends to be oblivious I catch him chuckling to himself every so often. The even more hilarious thing about the situation is that I really can't blame him because I catch him staring at me quite a few times, and also chuckle to myself quietly when I do.

We finally decide to stop swimming around five p.m. and go inside to don more appropriate attire, since Lucius and Narcissa should be home for dinner shortly. We each shower quickly and then get dressed, and shortly after Narcissa comes in to tell us that dinner will be ready soon and ask how our days were. "Okay," we both reply quietly. There's an awkward silence for a moment, and I assume that Draco's not going to tell his mother about my incident in the dungeons. This is fine with me; I'm sure I'd be rather embarrassed if Narcissa found out about what happened today. A moment later, however, Draco speaks to his mother again, rapidly destroying my hopes.

"Mum…where were you today?" he asks inconspicuously.

"Oh, I had some baby shower business to attend to," she replies. "Why do you ask, dear?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Draco replies, "I just wish I'd known Jayde was going to be here by herself today."

"Oh nonsense!" Narcissa replies, dismissing his statement with a wave of her hand. "She's a grown woman, Draco, she can take care of herself." She turns and walks from the room as an indication that this conversation is over.

As soon as she's out of ear-shot, however, Draco says quietly, "Apparently not." It takes me a moment to realize the significance of what he's said, and my eyebrows furrow and I gasp and open my mouth wide as I turn to look over at him. When my eyes are resting on him I notice he's wearing the largest smile I've ever seen on him; he'd apparently been joking when he made that statement.

"That was NOT funny!" I exclaim, hitting him on the shoulder lightly. My playful hit makes Draco laugh loudly; I cross my arms and turn away from him in response, pretending to be genuinely angry at him.

Seeing the pouty look on my face, Draco tries to suppress his laughter and comes to stand behind me, giving me a gentle kiss on the cheek and whispers "I'm sorry," in my ear. I pretend not to be touched by this gesture, and Draco continues trying to appease me. He removes his wand from his pocket and flicks it towards the wireless radio, causing my favorite song to come on; the one by the Broken Broomsticks. I can't help but smile slightly as Draco whispers "Dance with me," and turns me around to face him. All joking aside, I wrap my arms around Draco's neck and lean my head against his shoulder, and the two of us slowly begin moving and turning in time with the music. When the song comes to a close I lean up and give Draco a gentle kiss, and then he turns the radio off and takes me by the arm, leading me downstairs to the Dining room for dinner.

As we eat dinner with Lucius and Narcissa that evening, Lucius unfortunately brings up the day's happenings. "Son, I heard from the Minister that you had to leave work early today," he says. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Draco replies quickly, before returning his attention to his dinner plate. I feel my entire body tense up, but I keep eating and try to look nonplussed by the conversation.

"So am I to assume that Jayde breaking her arm, which is the explanation the Minister gave me, is also true?" I hear Narcissa gasp and drop her fork, but I continue eating as though I'm not phased by any of this.

"Yes, Father," Draco replies shortly, "I had to come home and fix her arm."

Draco tries to continue eating to avoid further discussion of the situation, but Narcissa will have none of that. "Oh my God!" she exclaims, jumping from her seat and running over to stand beside mine. "Are you alright?" she asks as she kneels beside me.

"I'm fine," I reply, finally giving up on avoiding the conversation and placing my fork beside my plate on the table. "Draco's already had Mrs. Taylor come and examine me, she said everything's okay."

"Oh thank Merlin!" Narcissa replies, leaning up and pulling me into a suffocating hug. "No wonder Draco was upset at me for being gone all day! Oh I should've never left you here alone! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!"

"No it isn't," I reply, trying to calm Narcissa as I feel heat rushing to my face, knowing that I'm blushing by now.

"Yes it is!" Narcissa replies, "I promise dear, I'll never leave you alone like that again!"

"Mum, it's fine," Draco says from his seat to my left. "Jayde's going to be spending time with her friends at the Burrow sometimes while I'm at work from now on."

Narcissa releases me from her death-grip and sits back on her heels, clearly hurt by the idea that I'd rather spend time with my friends than with her. "Why?" Narcissa asks, unable to hide the sinister tone in her voice as she looks across me at Draco. I'm sure Narcissa's only questioning this because she feels guilty; to her it must sound like Draco doesn't trust her with my well-being anymore.

"Because she doesn't get to see her friends very often and I don't want her going insane from boredom," Draco replies with a hint of finality in his tone. "Besides," he continues, "Would you rather for her friends to come here?" Narcissa shudders at the thought, and though I don't find the situation a bit funny, I have to cover my mouth to keep from laughing at Narcissa's reaction. My doing so causes Draco and Lucius to chuckle heartily, and Narcissa joins in almost immediately.

"Okay," she finally replies, "I see your point." Narcissa gets back to her feet and hugs me once more, repeating her apology and telling me how thankful she is that I'm okay. She then returns to her seat and the rest of the meal is carried out in a lighthearted mood without further discussion of what happened today, for which I am very thankful.

Draco and I take a trip to Diagon Alley after dinner, and when we return at 9 p.m. we go straight up to bed, exhausted. Over the weekend, Draco shows me the slide projector that's in the Drawing Room; I never knew there was one before. He shows me how to use it and we spend the entire weekend together, either swimming, going to Diagon Alley for a while, or watching films. When Draco leaves for work on Monday, which is the second of August, I shower and get dressed, preparing to make a visit to the Burrow and surprise my friends. I feel a little nervous about seeing Harry again as I walk through the gates to Malfoy Manor, but I quickly clear my mind of all thought and disapparate, landing in the familiar field in front of the Burrow. Not finding anyone outside, I quickly make my way to the wooden door and knock loudly. Realizing that I haven't hidden my stomach yet, I quickly grab my wand and do so, and luckily I finish just before the door begins to open. I'm greeted by Ginny, whose jaw nearly kits the kitchen floor when she realizes it's me.

"Jayde!" she squeals happily. She releases the door and runs forward, pulling me into a huge hug, which I return enthusiastically. When she releases me she tells me I look amazing and I return her compliment sincerely. She ushers me inside excitedly and calls up the stairs as she closes the kitchen door behind us. "MUM, HERMIONE!" she screams, "JAYDE'S HERE!" There's an instant echoing of gasps and my name being called throughout the house, followed by the sound of at least two pairs of running feet. Mrs. Weasley appears first, wearing her favorite brown dress and white apron. She smiles at me excitedly and rushes over to where Ginny and I are standing, pulling me into a motherly hug.

"How are you, dear?" she asks.

"Great," I reply happily.

"And you look it, too," she says, "You've got the color back in your cheeks and I can tell you've been sleeping better. You're practically _glowing_; I'm glad to see you so happy."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," I reply. "If it hadn't been for you, I might never have come to my senses and gone home in the first place." Mrs. Weasley simply smiles in response. By this point, Hermione's reached the bottom of the stairs and is walking quickly towards us; a huge smile on her face. Mrs. Weasley steps backwards a bit to give Hermione room, and she immediately takes advantage of it and pulls me into yet another hug.

"It's so good to see you!" she says happily.

"It's great to see all of you, too," I reply.

"Come on, dear, have a seat," Mrs. Weasley calls. "You should get off your feet."

"Right," Hermione says, "You don't want to put too much strain on the baby." I freeze mid-step as my heart starts beating rapidly and I feel the color quickly vanishing from my face at Hermione's words; she made that last statement rather loudly considering there are still some people in this house who still don't know I'm pregnant.

Not missing a beat, Ginny quickly says, "It's okay, Jayde... Harry and Ron aren't here."

"Oh," I reply, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. My heart rate slows a bit and I start walking again, finally taking a seat in one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Hermione and Ginny take the chairs to my immediate left and right, and Mrs. Weasley stands behind the three of us.

"So what brings you here?" Ginny asks. "You and Draco haven't had a row again, have you?"

"Oh no, of course not!" I reply. "I just get really bored while Draco's at work, so he and I decided that I should come here and spend time with you all from now on."

"That's great!" Hermione responds.

"Indeed," Mrs. Weasley replies, "It'll be good to have you around here during the day."

"So how have things been going since you went back?" Hermione asks immediately afterwards.

I can't help but smile as I think about the past week, and I can feel myself blushing. "Things are great," I reply, "Never better."

"Oh Jayde, we're so happy for you," Ginny says. I turn back to my right and smile at Ginny in response.

"So I take it you'll be staying with us for lunch, dear," Mrs. Weasley says probingly.

"If that's alright with you," I reply, craning my neck around my right shoulder to look at her.

"Of course," she says, smiling. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going upstairs to finish the laundry. I'll be back down a little later, but I imagine you girls have a lot of catching up to do."

"Okay," Hermione, Ginny and I reply. Without another word Mrs. Weasley walks from the room. Immediately, the questions begin.

"How did Draco act when you went home?" Hermione asks.

"Can we see your belly?" Ginny pries.

Deciding to tackle the questions one at a time, I begin with Hermione. "Draco was ill when I got back," I reply, "But he was glad to have me home." "And yes, Ginny," I continue, you can see my belly." I quickly retrieve my wand from my pants pocket and perform the anti-concealment charm, causing my baby bump to become visible again. I lean back in my chair slightly so that my friends can see the bulge.

"Oh my goodness!" Hermione cries. "It's getting so big!"

"It really is!" Ginny replies, "Can we touch it?"

I laugh at Ginny's question but take her hand, placing it on my raised stomach. "You won't be able to feel it right now, but that's where it's kicking at the moment," I say as I move her hand to where I can feel my tiny baby moving. Apparently being shy for some unknown reason, the baby stops kicking when I place Ginny's hand in its general location, but a moment later I feel it kick again. Ginny doesn't feel it, however, but she still seems awed. She quickly grabs Hermione's hand and places it right beside hers, and all three of us stare down at my belly as we wait for the baby to kick again.

I look up at the girls and say, "It's kicking" when it does so again, but both girls remain unable to feel the baby moving. They finally give up a moment later and sit back in their seats, smiling enormously.

"Is it a boy or girl?" Hermione asks.

"We don't know," I reply, "We want to be surprised when the baby's born, so we told the healer we don't want to know the sex."

"Aww, how sweet!" Hermione replies. There's an expectant silence for a moment, and then Ginny speaks up.

"Wow…this is really strange," she says quietly.

"What's strange?" Hermione and I ask in unison.

"This!" Ginny replies. "Jayde, you and Draco are already living like a married couple, and you've got a baby on the way. You're only 17 but you already know who you're going to be with for the rest of your life; you've already got a family. What's it like? Being a wife and mother, I mean. I know you're happy… but to be honest, I envy you. You've got to tell us what it's like."

I'm a bit stunned by Ginny's confession, so I wait in silence for a moment, contemplating my answer to her question. "It's hard to explain," I begin. "It just comes naturally to Draco and I because we love each other very much."

"I'll say," Hermione says, "I never thought Malfoy was capable of love until you came along and softened him up. I guess it's true what they say; you'll know when you've found the right one because everything changes." I smile in response to Hermione's statement, but Ginny presses on.

"But I mean, it's got to be difficult," she says, "Don't you ever get nervous about things around him? Like shagging, for instance, what's that like?" I can feel my face turning red immediately at Ginny's question.

"Ginny!" Hermione scolds, "That's too personal!"

"Actually," I begin, "Draco and I haven't shagged since… well, since the night our child was conceived. We're going to wait until we're married."

"Oh, well that's nice," Hermione says quietly.

"But what was it like that one time?" Ginny asks.

"Um…I really don't remember too well," I reply honestly. Then, trying to make sure I don't give away too much, I change the subject. "But as far as being pregnant," I continue, "There's really no other way to explain it than amazing. It's a lot to get used to, and it's very stressful and challenging to the body, but I'm really glad Draco and I are having a child."

"Well you've certainly got the stressful part right," Mrs. Weasley says, re-entering the room.


	12. Chapter 12 What Ron Saw

Hermione, Ginny and I continue talking for hours, laughter occasionally erupting between us. Though I've already informed the girls that I'd like them to be bridesmaids, I decide to formally ask them in person if they'll agree. Of course, they both say they'd love to be my bridesmaids, and quite some time after that is spent discussing dresses. Once she's finished cooking, Mrs. Weasley calls the three of us back down to the kitchen from Ginny's room. I help Mrs. Weasley set the table as she begins filling each of our plates with chicken, corn, and carrots.

As I'm walking around the kitchen table placing the plates, forks, and knives, I hear the kitchen door open behind me. Not thinking, I turn around to see who's just entered and find myself face-to-face with Ron. I hear Hermione and Ginny gasp, though at first I'm not sure why. "Jayde!" Ron says loudly. "How are you?"

"I'm great, Ron," I reply before setting down the final plate and extending my arms, pulling Ron into a hug. That hug, however, was a big mistake. I'm unable to hug Ron the proper way because of the hugeness of my baby belly; which I just now realize isn't hidden from sight… I forgot to re-cast the disillusionment charm this morning after Hermione and Ginny looked at my belly! Unfortunately, Ron notices the bulge, and looks down at my stomach with his eyebrows raised. "Bloody hell, Jayde!" he says, glancing back up to look into my eyes. "You're… ?" His voice trails off and I quickly grab my wand, hiding my belly from view as quickly as possible.

As I'm performing the spell, I hear the kitchen door open. Just as I've finished hiding my belly and re-pocketing my wand, Harry steps around Ron and into the center of the kitchen. His eyes linger on me for a moment, and I can tell by the look in them that he's still very upset with me. He turns his attention away, however, and focuses on Ron instead, whose jaw looks like it might break at any moment. "What're you staring at Jayde like that for, mate?" he asks. "And what was all that noise just before I walked in? You said 'Bloody hell, Jayde, you're…' She's what?" Just my luck; of _course _Harry overheard what Ron was saying. My only hope now is for Ron to read the desperate look in my eyes and have pity on me; for him to lie to Harry, his best friend.

My heart starts pounding loudly and my breathing becomes labored. I have the horrible feeling that this is about to be one big, messy scene right here in the kitchen of the Burrow._ Oh God please, don't let him say it!_ I think to myself.

Ron continues to stare at me dumbfounded for a moment and then slowly says, "You're… here!" Honestly, if I wasn't engaged to Draco, and Ron wasn't dating Hermione, I'd have kissed Ron at this point, purely out of gratitude. I try to give my most genuine smile and stare at Ron intently, trying to communicate through my eyes how grateful I am for his cover-up. Harry, however, interrupts this communication.

"Yeah, you're right," he says to Ron, "It is surprising that she's here." Then he turns to me and continues. "What's Malfoy done to you this time?" he asks darkly.

"N… nothing," I reply, too flustered to be angry at Harry for acting this way. "I just wanted to see you all."

Harry rolls his eyes and stalks away, in the direction of the empty Living Room. Ron, however, remains behind. "You owe me an explanation for why I just had to lie to my best friend," he whispers angrily, pointing at my stomach as he does so. He walks off behind Harry and I immediately feel guilty to the point of tears. Mrs. Weasley, however, walks up behind me and places a comforting hand on my shoulder, urging me to sit down and have some lunch. I obey, and when Harry and Ron walk back into the kitchen to eat with us I simply stare down at my plate, unable to meet either pair of prying eyes.

"Well, you boys are home early," she says, "We weren't expecting you so soon."

"Couldn't miss out on lunch, could we?" Ron asks, trying to lighten the mood.

"Should've known Ron would come back early for the food," Hermione jokes. Everyone except Harry and myself chuckle at this bit of humor. Though Mrs. Weasley continues to try to make small-talk, the entirety of the rest of the meal passes in an eerie silence. Immediately afterwards, Mrs. Weasley asks Harry to help her with the dishes; I assume this is to give me a chance to explain the situation to Ron. Harry agrees to help Mrs. Weasley and Hermione, Ginny, Ron and I walk outside to have a chat by the garden wall.

Though I'm thankful to Mrs. Weasley for giving me this opportunity to mend things with Ron, I simply don't know where to begin. Ron taps his foot impatiently when we reach the garden wall; his arms crossed and his face red. "Well, I'm waiting!" he finally says.

"Ron, please don't yell at her… she can't afford to get upset right now," Hermione says quietly.

"Don't you tell me not to yell at her!" he says angrily. "You're lucky I'm not yelling at you! You, _both of you_," he says, indicating Hermione and Ginny, "You _knew_ about this and you didn't tell me? Or Harry, for that matter!"

"Please be quiet, Ron, we only just found out ourselves!" Ginny pleads. This bit of information makes Ron turn on me again.

"How could you do this to him? You know how much Harry cares for you! He _loves _you, Jayde! You wouldn't even give him a chance, but yet here you are, walking around with Draco's baby poking out of your belly for the whole world to see!"

"I couldn't have given Harry a chance!" I scream, "I've been pregnant since February!" I turn away from Ron, deeply hurt and ashamed by his words. I bury my face in my hands, sobbing.

"February?" Ron asks. Then, putting two and two together, Ron comes up with four and continues. "That's where you went? The night of the Valentine's Day Ball? Off to shag Malfoy? You left Harry there wondering what he'd done wrong so you could go shag his worst enemy? And then you _lied _to all of us about it?"

"Ron, please! Jayde's already upset enough!" Hermione says pleadingly.

"I couldn't help it!" I sob as I turn back around to face Ron and remove my hands from my face.

"Couldn't help it, my arse! I guess Harry was being too much of a gentleman so you had to go find someone who'd shag you right away… you're a bloody slag!" Ron accuses.

Hermione and Ginny both gasp at Ron's use of this word, but he's unabashed. "I…I think it's best if I leave," I sob as I stare at the ground, unable to face my friends any longer.

"Not until you tell me why you did it!" Ron says. "What did Harry do to deserve that?"

"Nothing!" I reply. "I told you I couldn't help it!"

"And I told you you're full of shit! How the hell can you not help shagging someone?" Ron asks.

Finally, without realizing what's happening, I scream out of anguish, unable to stop the words once they start flowing from my mouth. "Because I was jinxed!" I yell. "Draco's parents had us under the Imperius Curse! They _made _us shag!"

Hermione and Ginny both gasp and stare at me with their mouths agape; Ron looks confused and a bit taken aback. Now realizing what I've just said, I gasp and cover my mouth with my hand, unable to believe the huge slip I just made. "What?" Ron asks after a long, expectant silence.

"Jayde, Lucius and Narcissa _made _you shag Draco?" Ginny asks. When I don't respond Ginny says she'll take that as a yes.

"That's why you left him, isn't it? You found out?" Hermione asks quietly. Fighting back the tears, I nod my head in response while still looking down at the ground.

"So you wouldn't date Harry because you were embarrassed," Ginny says. "You knew he'd be upset if he found out what had happened, and you didn't want to hurt him." Again, I nod my head in response.

"That's why I decided to give Draco a chance," I say quietly. Then I lift my head and look into all three of my friends' stunned faces. "But it worked out for the best anyway, because Draco is _not _who you all think he is. Well… I mean… he's that way to _you_, but he's absolutely wonderful to me…"

"_Wonderful_?" Ron interrupts. "Jayde, he tricked you into being with him! That's not wonderful!"

"No, he didn't trick me. That's the whole point," I reply. "His parents jinxed him, too. I left because I thought Draco knew about what his parents did; but I found out while I was over here that he didn't know."

"How could you know that for sure?" Ron asks.

"Dumbledore," Hermione says knowingly. "That's why he came over here; to convince you to go back." I nod my head in response, amazed by Hermione's ability to pick up on even the smallest things.

"_Dumbledore_ told you to go back?" Ron asks incredulously.

"Yes," I reply again. "I can't tell you how, but he knew about the whole thing; he knew that Draco didn't know what had happened."

Finally completely baffled and dumbstruck, Ron turns around and walks away, placing his hands on the top of his head in frustration. "Jayde," Ginny begins, "If you'd just tell Harry what happened, I'm sure he'd understand… he'd still want to be with you. None of this was your fault."

I shake my head out of frustration. "None of you get it!" I reply. "I _don't want _to be with Harry! I care about him, but not the way I do for Draco. Yes, Draco and I were forced together… but during our time together we've fallen in love… _on our own_. I don't expect you to understand this, but I _really love _Draco; and he loves me, too." I smile as I think about mine and Draco's relationship, and then continue. "To be honest, I'm sort of… _glad _this all happened."

"Are you sure you're not under some spell now?" Ron asks, turning to face me again. His face is losing the bright red color that had overtaken it; he's slowly beginning to calm down.

"I'm sure," I reply. Ron rolls his eyes, and just as he does so I hear Draco's voice inside my head.

"Having a good day, love?" he asks sweetly. Hearing his voice cheers me up a bit, and pulls me into a trance-like state, completely unaware of my friends standing around me.

"Yes, darling," I reply.

"And how's the bean?" he asks.

"Fine… we're both fine," I reply.

"Good then," he says. "I've got to get back to work, but I just wanted to check in on you. I hope you have fun with your friends today and I'll see you when I get home tonight."

"Okay," I respond.

"I love you, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco whispers.

"I love you, too," I reply happily.

After this last bit of communication between Draco and I, I finally realize that Ginny is calling my name and waving her hands in front of my face. "Oh, sorry," I say quickly.

"What was that all about?" she asks. "Are you alright?"

I don't get a chance to reply, however, because Hermione interrupts again. "Amare Vinculum?" she says uncertainly with a hint of awe in her voice. I look up at her and nod my head in response.

"What's Amare Vinculum?" Ron asks. "What does that mean?"

"It means that Draco and Jayde are _really _in love; they can speak to each other through their minds," Hermione replies. All three of my friends stare at me in awe, and I'm not quite sure I understand it. They've known that Draco and I are together for a while now, so why is it that just now they're starting to see that this is real and stare at me like I'm some sort of exhibit on display; and the golden plate attached to my cage reads '_The girl Draco Malfoy fell in love with'?_


	13. Chapter 13 Stretch Marks

After a long and somewhat stressful conversation, Hermione, Ginny and I convince Ron not to tell Harry what he's found out. Ron makes me promise, though, that when the time is right, I will tell Harry myself; before he finds out the hard way. Ron also apologizes for the way he was acting towards me earlier and pulls me into another hug. My friends and I spend the rest of the afternoon together merrily, though Harry and I don't speak to each other. I go home shortly before five that afternoon, and when Draco comes home from work he gets very angry when I tell him about what happened today at the Burrow.

He's somewhat stressed that Ron now knows about the pregnancy; he insists that Ron will certainly tell Harry, who will positively try to start problems for Draco and I… problems that Draco says I don't need on me right now. Though I assure him that Ron promised not to tell, he still seems very wary, and though it makes Draco uncomfortable, I can't help but admit that it feels wonderful to have cleared the air between my friends and I; to have finally told _almost all _of them the truth. Though I insist to Draco that Ron apologized and we're now getting along again, he says he doesn't want me to go back to the Burrow. I not-so-politely remind him of the dungeon incident last week, however, and he quickly concedes.

I spend every remaining day of that week at the Burrow with my friends; on Friday Neville, Fred, and George join the fun to my utter delight. It feels good to see Neville again, and I thank him for everything he did for me just a short while ago. Fred and George bring the laughter with them, and I feel alive again, glad to be doing _something _while waiting for Draco to get home, and also glad to be growing closer to my friends once more. I'm even closer to them now than I was at Hogwarts, since most of my time there was spent with Draco. I have to practically _beg _Neville to get him to agree to come to the wedding, but he finally gives in. I go home each evening around five p.m., and Draco arrives home from work shortly thereafter. I spend each evening in his embrace, and fall asleep quite a bit earlier than usual because I'm so exhausted from each day's activities.

On the following Tuesday morning, however, I seriously consider never leaving Malfoy Manor, or my bathroom, for that matter, again. As I step out of the shower in preparation for heading to the Burrow, I glance up in the mirror and notice a purple strip of scarred-looking flesh on my stomach. I haven't noticed this before now, and hoping that I'm just seeing things, I glance down at my stomach and touch the affected skin; it is indeed, very real. I scream for Narcissa, who comes bounding through my bedroom door only seconds later. Modestly covering the other areas of my body with a towel, I allow Narcissa into the bathroom and show her the offensive mark on my stomach. "What is it?" I scream. "Is the baby okay?"

Narcissa breathes a sigh of relief and stops to catch her breath for a second. "My goodness, Jayde," she says breathlessly. "You gave me quite a turn! I was afraid someone had broken into the house by the way you were screaming! It's just a stretch mark, dear."

"A…stretch mark?" I ask in confusion, "What does that mean? What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong, dear," she replies. "It just means that the baby is too big for your body to hold comfortably; you're already fairly thin-framed as it is. Your skin has to stretch to accommodate the baby." More horrified now than when I first saw the stretch mark, I start crying like a baby, falling onto Narcissa's shoulder for support. "There, there," she says, "I remember crying when I got my first stretch mark, too. It's quite alright dear."

"You… you got them, too?" I ask, leaning up to look into Narcissa's eyes. "Absolutely," she replies. "Almost everyone does. Well, almost every woman who's ever been pregnant, that is." This thought comforts me a little, but I still continue to sob.

"But what will I do?" I cry. "I can't let Draco see me like this! He'll be disgusted! Hell, I'm disgusted!"

"Aww, come now," Narcissa replies, "you're being paranoid. Draco will not be disgusted; he loves you just the way you are. And besides, it's partially his fault you've got the stretch mark in the first place. I remember feeling exactly the way you do right now; I was afraid Lucius would never look at me in the same way again. It's one of the scariest things about becoming a mother. But you see that nothing's changed between Lucius and I, don't you?" I nod my head in agreement, but am still unable to keep from sobbing. "I'll tell you what," Narcissa says. "I'll let you in on a little secret I learned to get rid of the stretch marks."

"You can… get rid of them?" I ask hopefully.

"Absolutely!" she says excitedly. "Why don't you get dressed and come down to my room, dear? I'll go get it out for you," she continues.

"Okay," I say quietly, nodding my head in agreement.

Before she walks out of the room, Narcissa turns back to me and says quietly, "You know, it's really nice having a daughter I can share these things with now," with a huge smile on her face. I smile in return, and Narcissa proceeds down to her bedroom. After dressing, I follow her downstairs and sit on she and Lucius' bed while she searches for the stretch-mark-getter-ridder-ofer. "Ah-ha!" Narcissa exclaims few moments as she emerges from she and Lucius' bathroom with a triumphant expression on her face and a small white tube in her hand.

"What is this?" I ask. Instead of answering, she extends her hand with the tube still in it and indicates that I should take the tube from her. Without further question I raise my hand, palm upward and open, and watch as she places the tube in my palm face-down. I flip the tube over and read "Zephra" in violet lettering across its front.

"It's a healing creme," Narcissa explains. "All you have to do is put that on your stretch marks, and they'll vanish instantly."

"Are you serious?" I ask, greedily removing the cap from the tube of crème.

"Yes," she replies, "But you only need to apply a little bit… don't over-do it. Here, let me help." Narcissa takes the tube from me and has me lift my shirt, and I look down at my stomach as best I can and watch as she applies the crème lightly. Instantly, the offensive stretch mark vanishes. I stare down at my newly-restored stomach in awe, amazed by how quickly and easily the crème got rid of the mark. I'm nearly in tears as I thank Narcissa for helping me, and she smiles at me in response. "Here, you can have the crème… I won't be needing it anymore," she says. "Any time you have a stretch mark come up, just apply a small amount of the crème to your stomach," she continues.

I smile at her as I take the tube from her and re-cap it, and she and I walk back up to my bathroom to hide the crème from Draco… who we've both decided doesn't ever have to know about what happened today. Afterwards I quickly finish getting ready to go see my friends at the Burrow.

As I'm getting ready, I can't help but let my mind wander to what Narcissa said earlier. She said she was afraid someone had broken into the house when she heard me screaming… which has somehow triggered the memory in my mind of the night that started the whole row between the Malfoys and I; the night I dreamt someone broke into the house and Draco found out about it. Draco's father, Lucius, had insisted that it wasn't a dream and we'd all left the Manor and went to Professor Snape's house instead. I'm just now realizing that Draco never explained to me who had broken into the house or why, though he promised to as soon as my bed-rest was over. I can't ask him about it now, however, so I decide to put those thoughts aside for now and just enjoy the day with my friends.

I arrive at the Burrow a little late to find that everyone is practically biting their nails with worry; even Harry seems upset that I'm late, though he doesn't speak to me once I've arrived. I pull Ginny and Hermione to the side a little later and explain my tardiness to them, and they both sympathize with my thoughts that stretch marks are evil. They say they can't imagine what it must be like to get stretch marks and make me feel much better. I spend my entire day with my friends and eat lunch with them, and I once again go home around five p.m. to meet Draco when he gets off work. This time, however, I've got questions prepared for him, having had all day to think about what I wanted to say.

"Draco, love," I begin once he walks through our bedroom door and gives me a kiss. "I was wondering," I continue, "When are you going to tell me about the men who broke into the house that night?" Draco's face turns an awkward shade of red at this question, and I can tell that he's been hoping I'd forget it completely; to avoid it altogether.

"Darling, I'd really rather not say," he replies, not looking me directly in the eyes for some reason.

"I want to know, Draco!" I exclaim. "I deserve to know! And besides, you promised!" I continue. I see the look of resignation come across Draco's face and immediately know that this last statement has convinced him, and he takes my hand and leads me over to our bed. He takes a seat and gestures that I should do the same, and then he begins his story.

"Darling," he says, "We're not entirely sure who they were or why they were here… none of them would tell us anything no matter how much they were tortured." I wince at his use of the word "torture" but don't interrupt, allowing him to continue. "Most of them were just random wizards; we didn't know who any of them were."

"What do you mean, most of them?" I ask quietly.

"Well, one was a werewolf," Draco replies. Horrified, I gasp and place my hand over my mouth. "See? That's why I didn't want to tell you!" Draco says angrily, getting back onto his feet and walking away.

"A… werewolf?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes," Draco says quietly, looking over at me to gauge my reaction.

"But why would a werewolf have business at Malfoy Manor?" I ask.

"My Dad knows one," Draco replies. "Fenrir Greyback. He's also in with the Dark Lord… though he's never been given the mark."

"But it wasn't him that night?" I ask, unable to hide the hint of fear in my voice.

"No," Draco replies solemnly. "At first, that's who we – Dad and I – thought it was. That's why I wanted to get you out of here as soon as you told me about your dream… he's vicious, he knows no loyalty. We're still not so sure that he didn't set this up somehow, even though he wasn't actually here."

"But does he have a reason to do something like that to your family?"

"No," Draco replies, "But that doesn't make me rest any easier. But don't worry, dear, nobody can get in here like they did anymore… it's been taken care of. I really wish you hadn't made me tell you. I don't want you worrying your pretty little head over a thing." He walks back over to the bed and sits down, gently placing a loving hand on my cheek before kissing my forehead and pulling me into a hug. As I wrap my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder in response, I can't help but think that although I wanted to know the truth, I now wish I didn't.


	14. Chapter 14 Time Flies

The next few weeks fly by in much the same manner as the past two, with me spending my days with my friends at the Burrow and my evenings and weekends at home with Draco. The last of my monthly maternity checkups is held on August 25th, my 27 ½ week checkup. All tests Mrs. Taylor performs give the desired results, and she reminds Draco and I that our appointments from now on out will be bi-weekly.

It's now becoming extremely difficult for me to stand up or sit down on my own; Draco or Narcissa almost constantly have to help me to or from my feet when I'm at home, and Hermione and Ginny serve the same purpose when I'm at the Burrow, though we make sure to keep this fact hidden from Harry.

The Saturday morning after my maternity appointment, August 28th, Draco wakes me at a very early hour, calling my name excitedly. "What is it?" I ask groggily without opening my eyes.

"I think I just felt the baby kick!" he exclaims.

"What?" I ask, admittedly a bit annoyed that he's awoken me for something that's become commonplace to me now. "Did you stay up all night just to see if you felt it kick or something?" I ask, sitting up slowly.

"No, it was kicking my hand so hard it woke me up!" he replies. Now propped up on my hands which are placed on the bed behind me, I look down at Draco, whose hands and head are absolutely as close as they can be to my stomach. I can't help but grin at the sight and all my aggravation quickly fades as I realize just how special this new experience is to Draco; he's never been able to feel the baby kick before, and from the look on his face you'd think Christmas had come early this year. Just then, the baby kicks and Draco lets out a loud gasp, looking up at me with widened eyes. "I just felt it again!" he exclaims. "Was that it? Did the baby just kick?"

"Yes, love," I reply happily while smiling down at him. Draco smiles and places his head flat against my belly, as though examining it. I feel more than a bit ridiculous but decide to let Draco indulge in this beautiful moment… even if it is three in the morning. The baby kicks again, this time kicking Draco squarely on the jaw.

"Ouch bean! What was that for?" he asks my belly as he sits up, rubbing his jaw. "That actually hurt a little bit," he says quietly.

"Now imagine being kicked like that from the inside out," I say matter-of-factly. Draco laughs at my statement and lies down behind me, draping his right arm across my stomach once more as he kisses my cheek. He and I lie there in silence for quite some time, both of us now feeling the baby's continued kicks and nudges. The baby finally settles down with its elbow poking me in the ribs, and though I'm exhausted I simply can't fall asleep because I'm in such discomfort. Draco questions me a few moments later, asking why I keep sighing so heavily, and when I explain the situation to him he has me place his hand directly on the spot the baby's hurting. For some reason, as soon as Draco's hand touches that spot, the baby moves. I thank Draco with a quick kiss and doze off almost immediately afterwards.

Another couple of weeks fly by in the same way, and my first bi-weekly maternity checkup at 29 ½ weeks is held on September 8th. Once again, the checkup goes off without a hitch, and Mrs. Taylor says she'll see us in another two weeks as she escorts Draco, Narcissa, and I out of the examination room that Wednesday afternoon. Draco, Narcissa, and Lucius are all becoming extremely excited now that there's just 10 weeks left in my pregnancy; I'm becoming more nervous with each passing day. I keep unknowingly placing my right hand on my back as a means of support these days, and I've slowly begun adapting what Narcissa playfully refers to as the "pregnant woman waddle", though I don't find it a bit funny.

Several more stretch marks pop up on my stomach, each of them earning a quick application of the crème Narcissa gave me, which immediately causes them to disappear. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to get comfortable these days, and once in a while even have those false-labor contractions Mrs. Taylor warned me about. I don't worry about them because they don't last for very long and always go away on their own. Draco, on the other hand, becomes frantic each time I say "Ouch" or place my hand on my stomach, asking if I need to go to the hospital.

Now that he's felt the baby kick for the first time, Draco has taken to randomly placing his hand on my belly during the day. In fact, most of the time we're together he's got his hand on my belly, waiting for the "bean" to kick again. As September presses on, Narcissa receives the responses from the invitations she sent to my baby shower, which is being held on Saturday, September 25th. Delighted to see how many people have responded saying that they'll be attending the shower, Narcissa begins to busy herself around the house. Or rather, she begins to busy the maids and house elves around the house, ordering them to clean _everything _even though the shower is still a couple of weeks away. Though I offer to stay at home and help with the preparations instead of going to the Burrow, Narcissa says she wants everything about the shower to be a complete surprise for me until the day of.

My second bi-weekly maternity checkup at 31 ½ weeks is held on Wednesday, September 22nd, once again producing the desired results. Mrs. Taylor says that now might be a good time to start looking back over the pamphlets she gave Draco and I about the birthing process. She also says it wouldn't be a bad idea for Draco and I to start practicing the exercises we learned in the pregnancy class we took, either. To my utter dismay, she also implies that I might want to start spending a bit more time at home and off my feet. She doesn't order it, however, which is the _only _reason I'm able to convince Draco to let me keep going to the Burrow. I have to promise him, however, that I'll stay off my feet while I'm there, which proves to be a difficult task to perform under the scrutiny of Harry's curious eyes.

Neville occasionally shows up to spend time with my friends and I while I'm at the Burrow, and he, Hermione, Ginny, and even Ron somehow magically manage to help me keep Harry in the dark about my pregnancy. I spend all day Thursday and Friday at the Burrow with my friends, and when I wake up Saturday morning Draco innocently says he wants to take me out to breakfast, but there's not a doubt in my mind that he's just trying to get me out of the house so his mother can decorate for the baby shower, which will be held around noon. After we cast a concealment charm on my belly to hide it from any prying eyes, Draco takes me out to my favorite restaurant; the one he took me to on the day we got engaged. Coincidentally, the day we got engaged was also the day we found out that I was expecting the child we're having a baby shower for today.

Draco and I enjoy a wonderful breakfast together, chatting merrily since we're both filled with excitement about the day's events. Though we want to spend the whole day together, Draco won't be staying at the manor during the baby shower; he says it's a _girl _thing and he doesn't want to ruin a day that was meant to be just for me. He and his father will be going over to Zabini's house to meet up with Zabini, Crabbe, Goyle, and a few of his other friends from school to play a game of Quidditch instead.

Once Draco and I have finished breakfast, we take a stroll through Diagon Alley, peering into a few shops. When we've finished looking at all the shops in Diagon Alley, however, we still have a fair bit of time left before the baby shower starts, so Draco and I apparate to Hogsmeade and spend quite a while window-shopping there, also. When we've walked practically every inch of Hogsmeade, there's still two hours to kill, so Draco improvises. "Darling, you're always talking about that Irish wizard village; the one Mrs. McGreggor used to take you to," he says. "Why don't you take me there and show me around?" I smile at Draco in response, not letting on that I know what he's up to, and he takes my hand and we turn on the spot, disapparating once more. I feel no need to hide my belly any more once we're in Clonminam, so I quickly remove the concealment charm placed upon it and re-pocket my wand.

Draco stares around at the place as though he's on another planet, clearly thrown off by the differences between the wizard village in Ireland and the two he knows of in England. I take him to all my old haunts, showing him everything. I show him Ms. Campbell's shop; the place I got my wand from when I was eleven years old, and all the other shops and buildings in town. It feels good to be back in Ireland, to reminisce like this. I occasionally see shop-owners I recognize, and happily exchange Irish greetings of "_Dia duit" _with them. One of them asks how I'm doing, and I end up carrying on a short conversation in Gaelic with them, which I have to translate for Draco once we've walked away.

"I'd completely forgotten," he says, "But you promised you'd teach me how to speak Irish."

"Come to think of it, I'd forgotten too, love," I reply. "I guess we've just been busy. I'll tell you what, I'll start teaching you right now."

Draco smiles at me in response and I begin telling him simple Irish phrases as we continue to walk through Clonminam. It's funny to hear Draco stumble over the Irish pronunciation at first, but he catches on very quickly. It takes us a while to cover the ground of the entire village, and by the time we've finished he knows about five Gaelic phrases by heart. What's more, it's now near enough to noon that Draco thinks it'd be okay if he went ahead and took me back to Malfoy Manor for the party. Draco extends his hand for me to take and we disapparate again, this time landing in front of the wrought-iron gates to Malfoy Manor.

"Before we go in," Draco says, "I just thought I'd let you know that your attire for the party has already been determined by my mother and me."

"What?" I ask incredulously, craning my neck to the left to look up at him.

"Mum thought you should have a new dress for the baby shower, so I bought you one… with her help," Draco explains. "Consider it my baby shower present to you."

"But you're not supposed to get me anything for the baby shower!" I argue.

Draco laughs in response. "You really thought I wasn't going to take advantage of an opportunity to spoil you?" he asks. I simply smile and roll my eyes at him in response as we walk through the gates.


	15. Chapter 15 The Baby Shower

When Draco and I step through the door to Malfoy Manor, Narcissa comes running from the Drawing Room, closing the door behind her as she does so. "Oh thank goodness you're back!" she says frantically, "I've got your dress laid out on your bed; go on upstairs and get changed. The guests will be arriving any moment!"

"Okay," I say quickly, nodding my head in response. Draco helps me make my way up the stairs to our bedroom, and when he opens the door I gasp at the lovely lilac-colored dress that's lying across our bed. It's made of silk and looks to be about knee-length, and is sleeveless. Sitting on the bed directly to the left of the dress is a pair of flat ballet slipper shoes to match. I tell Draco the dress is lovely and thank him, pulling him into a hug and kissing him tenderly.

"Well go on!" he says excitedly, "let me see you wear it!"

"Okay," I smile in response, taking the dress off the bed and walking into the bathroom with it. I lay the dress across the white marble-topped counter and begin peeling off the clothes I'd worn to Diagon Alley this morning before quickly and easily slipping into my new dress. I feel very pretty and proud in this dress, and I know that if anyone asks me where I got this dress from I'll be delighted and smiling from ear to ear when I say "Draco got it for me." I examine myself in the mirror once more before placing my dirty clothes in the hamper and stepping out of the bathroom to show Draco the dress.

"You look amazing," he says quietly, looking up at me from his seat on our bed. He picks up my new shoes and walks over to me before kneeling down and lifting my left leg, placing the first shoe on my foot delicately as though it's porcelain and may break if handled too roughly. Then he does the same with my right foot before getting to his feet once more.

"Thank you," I quietly repeat, staring up into those beautiful grey eyes of his. Draco smiles at me in response. I step forward and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss; he places his hands on my hips and pulls me closer in response.

We're interrupted a moment later by Narcissa's voice calling up the stairs. "Don't forget, Draco, Jayde needs to stay up there until I come and get her!" she yells.

Draco stops kissing me and rolls his eyes. Then he yells back, "Yes, I remember mother!" I giggle and then slowly release my arms from his neck before turning around and heading over to the vanity that rests against the wall in our room.

"What are you doing, love?" Draco asks quietly.

"Just touching up on my makeup," I reply, casting him a backwards glance.

"Why? You don't need it," he replies. I smile both internally and externally at Draco's sweet words, but take a seat on the wooden stool and start gathering all my makeup supplies anyway. Draco resumes his seat on the bed behind me and watches as I put on my makeup, and each time I look up into the vanity mirror I catch him staring at me. A huge smile forms on his face each time I catch him, and each time I blush and quickly look away.

After catching him for about the tenth time, I finally say loudly, "Stop staring at me like that!" with a laugh.

"Not a chance," he jokes in response, continuing to stare at me.

Once I finish donning my makeup, I decide to change my earrings as well; to something a little more appropriate with the dress I'm now wearing. As always, the earrings are complimented by my gorgeous engagement ring and a white gold necklace with a heart charm that Draco surprised me with when he came home from work one day a few weeks ago. Once completely satisfied with my appearance, I slowly ease myself off the wooden vanity stool and turn around to face Draco. Just as I begin to make my way over to the bed, thinking I'll have a seat beside him for a few moments, Narcissa opens the bedroom door with wild eyes and says, "It's time! Most of the guests are here!"

I look over and smile at her in response, both excited and nervous at the same time. Draco gets to his feet and walks over, pulling me into a hug. "I'll walk downstairs with you, and then I'll floo to Blaise's place to meet Dad and everyone else," he says quietly.

"Okay," I reply as he kisses me on the forehead. He walks over to the closet and grabs the pre-packed bag of his Quidditch robes, as well as his broom, and then he walks back over to where I'm standing and wraps his arm around my waist. He and I follow Narcissa out of our room and down the three flights of stairs to the ground floor, where Draco quickly kisses me goodbye and tells me that he hopes I have a great time.

I wish him the same, and he quickly steps into the fireplace, shouting "Zabini Manor" as he casts down his floo powder and disappears. Once he does, Narcissa pulls a black sash from her pocket and tells me to turn around; she's going to blindfold me until we've gotten inside the drawing room. I allow her to do so and then blindly take her hand, allowing her to lead me in to the room where all my guests are waiting. Narcissa opens the drawing room door and guides me through the doorway, leaving the door open behind us.

"Now then, Jayde," she says, finally coming to a stop, "Welcome to your baby shower!" She begins untying my blindfold and quickly snatches it away from my face. Once it's removed, I open my eyes to a truly astonishing sight. Draco was right; Narcissa clearly _loves _to throw an extravagant party. The drawing room has been completely transformed. All the couches and chairs have been moved up against the wall, and Narcissa and I are standing near the seat of honor at a long, and what I assume to be brand new, dining table. The table is decorated half and half; one side with a blue tablecloth, blue plates, napkins, cups and silverware, and blue baby rattles; the other with the exact same items in pink. There are _lots _of women in this room, most of whom I don't recognize. They're all standing and smiling at me happily. The walls and ceiling of the drawing room are also decorated in the same way; Narcissa's transfigured one half of the room's paint to be blue, while the other side is pink. There are blue and pink balloons and streamers as well.

At the back of the room, in a corner just to the right of the fireplace, is a square table piled to the ceiling with gifts. In the exact opposite position on the left side of the room is another table; this one supporting a three-tier cake decorated in the exact same way as the room; half blue and half pink. A large, half pink and half blue sign hangs above the fireplace that reads 'Goodbye Tummy, Hello Mummy'. I continue to stare around at the room wide-eyed and amazed, and near tears.

"Well dear, what do you think?" Narcissa asks a few moments later, standing to my left.

"It's amazing!" I reply, turning to look her in the eyes. "You went to all this trouble for me?" I ask, astonished.

"Of course, dear!" she replies, "Anything for my only daughter!"

"Th… thank you!" I stammer in response. With this, Narcissa pulls me into a tight hug and all the women in the room "Awww" and clap loudly.

"Now then," Narcissa says a moment later, finally releasing me. "Let me introduce you to everyone." So Narcissa starts at the chair that's second closest to mine on the left hand side; I assume the empty chair beside it is reserved for her. She introduces me to Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Blaise's mothers, and though she knows that Pansy and I need no introduction, she introduces her as well; I assume it's for the benefit of the other women in the room. Next she introduces Mrs. Fudge; the Minister of Magic's wife, who graciously receives lots of applause when she's introduced. Reaching the far end of the table, Narcissa introduces a few of her close friends whom I've never met before; they all wave excitedly and tell me they're glad to finally meet me after hearing so much about me from their friend.

The first person Narcissa introduces as she makes her way up the right side of the table also needs no introduction, for me at least; Draco's Aunt Tracy, who is married to Lucius' identical twin brother Maximus. Narcissa pulls her sister-in-law into a tight hug and I wave at her happily. Next to her is she and Maximus' daughter, Diane, and Lucius and Maximus' mother sits next to Diane. I smile and wave at Draco's Grandmother and cousin as well, and Narcissa hugs these two guests also. I momentarily wonder where Draco's Aunt Bellatrix, Narcissa's sister, could be, but then realize she's probably out doing some of the Dark Lord's dirty deeds.

I stop smiling almost immediately when I notice the four empty seats to the left of Draco's grandmother. Apparently these seats were reserved for _my _guests… the ones _I'd _actually invited. Hermione, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley and Tonks are nowhere to be seen, and my heart sinks in my chest as I realize that my friends probably just decided not to come because of the awkward situation they'd be in. I feel stupid; I realize now that I'd completely forgotten to ask my friends on Friday if they'd be attending. I'm not allowed to feel stupid for long, however, because as I gaze at the empty seats the person standing to my immediate right catches my eye. I look over at the familiar face, but it takes a moment for the realization to set in; it's Mrs. McGreggor. "Oh… OH MY GOD!" I exclaim as I recognize her. She laughs at my momentary brain lapse and steps forward, wrapping me into the tightest of hugs. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" I exclaim happily.

"It's good to see you too, dear," she says into my ear. "You've gotten so _big!"_ Normally, I'd take this as an insult, but I know Mrs. McGreggor well enough to know that she didn't intend it as one; she was merely referring to the fact that my belly's gotten huge since the last time she saw me. She and I continue embracing for several moments until there's a loud knock on the drawing room door by one of the maids. I quickly release Mrs. McGreggor and turn to face the maid, and she looks a bit embarrassed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she says quietly, "but more guests have arrived." My heart flutters at this, I automatically hope it's my friends. Narcissa tells the maid to escort them in, and sure enough a few moments later the maid returns with Ginny, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley and Tonks directly behind her.

I gasp and immediately run to my friends; "You came!" I exclaim loudly.

I fling my arms around Ginny and Hermione, who quickly say "Of course! We wouldn't miss this for the world!"

"I'm so glad you're here!" I reply. My friends however, seem to have now focused their attention on my baby bump, which has been hidden with a disillusionment charm each time they've seen me.

"It's gotten so big!" Hermione says in an astonished tone.

"You're just not used to actually being able to see it," I reply. I release my two best friends and Narcissa takes their gifts from them and escorts them to their seats, and I pull Mrs. Weasley and Tonks into a hug next. "Thank you so much for coming!" I say graciously.

"You're welcome," they both reply, and I release the two of them, also. The two of them give Narcissa their gifts, also, before taking their allotted places beside Hermione and Ginny.

As I watch my guests take their seats, I'm filled with more joy than I have been in a long time; but that joy is quickly replaced by a sense of uneasiness. I'm just now noticing how much the atmosphere in the room has changed since the new guests arrived. Though confused about it at first, I quickly understand why. "_Molly Weasley?"_ Pansy's mother asks incredulously. "What is she doing here? Surely you didn't invite _her_, did you Narcissa?"

"She's one of Jayde's guests," Narcissa replies coolly, obviously trying to smooth over the situation. That, however, is impossible.

"And it looks like she brought one of Potter's friends with her," Mrs. Goyle, who's sitting directly to the right of Mrs. Parkinson, interjects, "the mudblood."

The room erupts into noise at this statement; some guests burst out laughing while others gasp in outrage. I, personally cringe at the use of the disrespectful word and am terrified that my baby shower has taken such a drastic turn for the worse so quickly. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Tonks quickly jump to their feet in Hermione's defense, and Mrs. Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinson all do the same. The women start yelling at each other across the table as I stare in horror at the scene before me. Poor, distraught Narcissa keeps trying to control the situation for my sake, but to no avail. Hermione, horribly offended, simply sits in her seat with tears building up in her eyes, but in true Hermione fashion she fights them, not allowing one single tear to roll down her cheek. Seeing the tears already pouring from my eyes, Mrs. McGreggor places a hand on my shoulder and tries to soothe me.

Draco's grandmother quickly joins in the argument, screaming at Narcissa, "You let a mudblood into my house?"

Attempting to help Narcissa smooth the situation over, Draco's Aunt Tracy steps in. "Now now, Mother Malfoy," she says calmy. "I don't mean you any disrespect, but you don't live here anymore. You decided you didn't want to live here anymore when Abraxas died. This house belongs to Lucius now, as he's the eldest son, and it's up to he and Narcissa to decide who enters it." Apparently either appeased by Tracy's statement or too tired to argue anymore, Draco's grandmother closes her mouth and resumes her seat.

The fight continues to rage on, however, finally escalating to the point of wands being drawn and aimed. As soon as the first wand is pointed, Mrs. McGreggor quickly pulls me up out of my chair and away from the war that's about to ensue. She leads me to the back of the room and turns me to face the wall before pulling me into a tight hug; shielding me from any stray spells. I begin to cry loudly as flashes of light bounce around the room and several voices call out all sorts of spells, both defensive and offensive. Tonks, who is an auror and easily the person in the room who's most skilled with a wand, is casting most of the defensive charms to protect herself, me, Mrs. McGreggor, Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley.

Over the ruckus I can still hear Narcissa's screams, pleading with everyone to stop fighting and calm down. Wanting to help put an end to this in any way I can, I quickly cause a torrential rain to start pouring down outside, imitating the tears falling from my eyes. I cause a brilliant flash of lightning and a roar of thunder to occur, but these don't distract the angry women either. Knowing that I dare not try to use my powers any more for fear of hurting the baby, I resort to crying once more. Realizing that nobody here, including myself, can stop this fight, I call out to Draco for help with my mind and get a worried response immediately; "Baby what's wrong?" he asks frantically.

"They're fighting!" I think back to him in response.

"What? Who's fighting, love?" he asks curiously.

"My guests!" I sob.

I hear no response from Draco and assume he's concentrating heavily on his Quidditch match, but moments later there's a loud whooshing sound coming from the entrance hall. I recognize the sound immediately as the sound of someone using the floo network to get to the manor, and mentally kick myself for forgetting to relock the fireplace when Draco left earlier. Wondering who is about to join the 'party' and hoping it's nobody who means us harm, I glance towards the still-open Drawing Room door and wait. I hear the sound of a pair of boot-clad, determined feet making their way closer, and Draco's pale-faced and clearly livid form appears in the doorway a moment later.

He's clearly been interrupted in the middle of his game; he's wearing his Quidditch robes and his hair is soaked with sweat. He begins looking around for me frantically, but is unable to see me because Mrs. McGreggor's still got me wrapped in her arms tightly. Both surprised and thankful that he's here, I call his name loudly in relief and draw his attention to me. I nearly startle Mrs. McGreggor to death when I call him, and though I feel horrible about it, it causes her to jerk involuntarily and let go of me, thankfully. I walk swiftly towards Draco, who meets me half way. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, and I sob into his shoulder.

"Are you alright, love?" he whispers in my ear. I nod my head against him instead of speaking in response, and he leans back and kisses my forehead tenderly. Then he sets his jaw and returns his gaze to the rest of the room, which is now overtaken by frantic fighting women. "I'll take care of this," he says angrily, releasing me from his arms as he steps forward to face the fighters. Judging by the look on his face I'm sure that Draco's madder than I've ever seen him; it's actually a bit frightening to see him this angry. Wary of what he's about to do but certain that it can't be any worse than all my guests continuing to fight, I simply stand back and watch, knowing that this won't be good.


	16. Chapter 16 Draco's Fury

Draco stands in one spot, silently observing the chaos going on around him. When he's finally seen enough to disgust him, he snatches his wand out of his pocket and flicks it angrily at everyone in the room besides himself, and me. The room immediately falls silent as each woman is forcefully returned to her respective chair, and everyone's wands except mine come flying towards the front of the room, landing in Draco's open and waiting hand; I'm surprised to see that Draco's even caught his long-lost cousin Tonks off guard. I gasp in shock as the last of the tears roll down my cheeks.

Clutching his wand in one hand and everyone else's in the other, Draco practically screams out of rage. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" he yells, mad to the point of shaking. In the now-silent room, Draco's voice echoes off the pink and blue walls. Whatever spell Draco cast on the women, it's got them all rooted to their seats in complete silence; Draco's even got his mother under the curse. Though I want to try and calm Draco and ensure that he doesn't do anything rash, I'm not sure that now would be a good time for me to confront him, so I don't.

Apparently sensing my uneasiness, Draco looks back at me without taking his wand's aim away from the crowd. "I'm not going to hurt them, love," he says. Though he's still unable to mask the anger in his voice, his words calm me. "Come here, darling. Stand beside me," he continues. Slowly and silently I make my way over to Draco's side, standing just to his right. Focusing on the frozen women, Draco asks, "What happened, love? Who started this?"

Though it makes me feel like a bit of a tattle-tale, and I'm wary of what will happen next, I tell Draco the truth. "Mrs. Parkinson," I reply. "Hermione, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley and Tonks came in, and she suggested that they had no right being here. And then Mrs. Goyle called Hermione the 'M' word."

Draco casts his angry glare in the two ladies' direction and flicks his wand again. Though the ladies' bodies are still bound by some invisible force, their mouths are now free. They choose to remain silent, however, clearly worried about what Draco's next move will be. "Mrs. Parkinson," Draco begins in a frustrated tone.

"Y… yes Draco?" she replies, her voice wavering.

"Why are you here? What brings you to Malfoy Manor today?" he asks.

"I'm… I'm here for Jayde's baby shower," she replies in an astonished, matter-of-fact tone, as though Draco's implying she has no business here.

"And you, Mrs. Goyle?" Draco asks. "Why are you here?"

"For the same reason as Mrs. Parkinson, to attend Jayde's baby shower," she replies quietly.

"Well that's funny!" Draco exclaims with a bit of a laugh, "Because when I walked in just now I could have sworn you were trying to start another war!" Both women make to open their mouths in an effort to explain themselves, but Draco's in no mood to hear it. He angrily flicks his wand in their direction again, forcing the two of them into silence once more. Next Draco speaks to his mother. "Mum," he begins with a tremor in his voice, "you let your friends start a fight at Jayde's baby shower?"

Narcissa, still unable to answer, starts groaning in protest, but I quickly speak up on her behalf. "No, Draco, your Mum was trying to stop them, you can't be angry at her," I say quietly.

"Yes I can," he replies, "She's the one who invited them." Then, though still clearly very upset with his mother, Draco flicks his wand towards her and releases her from the curse she's been under.

Now free to do and say as she pleases again, Narcissa sits up straighter and looks up at Draco with tears building up in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Draco… and Jayde," she begins, "I never meant for this to happen." I flash a quick smile at Narcissa in what I hope is a comforting way, but Draco's already turned his attention to the rest of the room.

"Who cast the first spell?" he asks.

"I… I really don't know, dear," I reply. "It all happened so fast; Ginny and Mrs. Weasley tried to defend Hermione, Tonks was casting spells to defend everyone including myself, and Mrs. McGreggor pulled me away from the fighting. Your Aunt Tracy tried to calm your grandmother, and the Minister's wife didn't really do or say anything." As soon as I finish speaking, Draco flicks his wand again, releasing all the women I just mentioned. He apologizes to the Minister's Wife immediately for cursing her, and she graciously accepts his apology, nodding her head and saying that she understands.

"Thanks Aunt Tracy," he says quietly, now nodding his head in her direction before quickly turning to glance at the other women he's just released. He doesn't speak to Mrs. Weasley, Hermione or Ginny, and when his gaze reaches his long-lost cousin he simply says her name, "Nymphadora," and nods his head in acknowledgement. Tonks, amazed by this simple but meaningful gesture of gratitude from her estranged cousin, simply stares up at him in awe and nods her head in response. I'm very happy to see Draco at least acknowledging his cousin, and can't help but smile. I can tell, however, that even such a small gesture was very difficult for Draco given his upbringing and beliefs; he winces and quickly looks away from Tonks, turning his gaze to Mrs. McGreggor instead. "Thank you for protecting her, Mrs. McGreggor," he says quietly.

"You're very welcome, dear, anytime," she replies with a smile. Draco returns her smile for a moment but then immediately turns back to the 6 women in the room who are still being held against their will.

"I am _livid_," he begins_._ "I don't care who you are or what side of the mudblood/pureblood war you're on, but this is _my _house and you will respect it, as well as my fiancé. You do _not _want to cross me, especially when it comes to Jayde; I'd fight to the death for her without a second thought. Today isn't about blood status; it's about Jayde and our baby! Today is for her, and you _will not _ruin it; it's supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life. If you can't sit here peacefully through the rest of this baby shower, you can leave right now. And once I leave, I had _better not _have to come back here… if I do, the perpetrators will have _me _to deal with… and I won't be so nice next time, understand?"

At this, Draco flicks his wand and releases his remaining captives, allowing them to speak. "Yes," they all say quietly.

"Good," he says with a smirk. "I assure you, if this happens again, nobody will escape my full wrath. Not even you two, mother and grandmother." My eyes widen at his last statement but the thought of speaking up about it never crosses my mind. "Jayde shall be holding on to all of your wands, you can collect them from her when you leave," he says with a hint of finality in his tone. Several women make to object to this statement, but Draco quickly silences them with an angry look. At this, Draco turns to me and hands me the wands of every other woman in the room, which I quickly place in my chair. Once I've done so, he pulls me into a tight hug and kisses my cheek.

"There, that's settled, darling," he says quietly. "Let me know if you need me again," he continues, "and try to have a good time."

"Okay," I say with a smile, nodding my head in response. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome, love," he says. "Enjoy your day." Giving me a quick kiss on the lips, Draco glances at the partygoers one last time before turning and walking out of the room, his Quidditch robes flailing in the wind behind him.

"I'll go and lock the fireplace," I say quietly, leaving the room to do so. I return a moment later to the silent and somber crowd and retake my seat. Nobody speaks for quite a while, still stunned by the recent upheaval.

Draco's grandmother finally breaks the awkward silence with a rather funny statement a few moments later. "Well I'll say this about my grandson," she says loudly while looking me straight in the eyes, "he certainly isn't joking around when it comes to upsetting you."

The entire room bursts into a fit of laughter at this statement, myself included. I could kiss Draco's grandmother for making that statement, for it has quickly and affectively lightened the mood in the drawing room. "I'll say," Mrs. McGreggor adds, "Jayde it's obvious that boy loves you very much, dear." The room once again explodes into laughter at this statement; I can't help but smile at it.

"Finally… laughter!" Narcissa says with a chuckle. "That's what this day's supposed to be about… fun! Now let's get started for Merlin's sake! I've got loads of games for us to play, and then there's lunch, cake, and presents to open!" She quickly gets to her feet and makes her way over to one of the couches lined up along the blue left wall and picks up several pieces of paper, which she begins handing out immediately.

Narcissa gets the games started, and before the afternoon is over we've played at least ten, including _Baby Bingo _and _Pin the Bottle on the Baby_. I somehow manage to win _every single _game; I suspect that Narcissa may be using nonverbal wandless magic to ensure that I do. The maids serve lunch immediately after the games are finished; Narcissa's had them prepare a feast fit for a King. There's more food than there is space on the table, and everyone begins digging in greedily. After everyone's stuffed to the point of misery, Narcissa jumps up excitedly and says it's time for cake. Everyone groans in protest, but I personally have been craving a piece of that cake ever since I laid eyes on it when I walked in the room.

Narcissa urges me to come over to the cake table; she says I'm the guest of honor so I'm supposed to cut the cake. Everyone starts cheering as I make my way over, and I cut a large piece of cake for myself. "After all, she is feeding two people!" Narcissa reminds everyone playfully, causing them all to explode into laughter. There's still quite a bit of cake left over after Narcissa's served the entire room; she says that the men can have a slice when they join us later. The guests and I sit around talking for about thirty minutes with our bellies quite full, but once everyone's recuperated enough Narcissa asks everyone to stand so she can clear the dining table.

My guests and I immediately get to our feet and stand clear, and Narcissa uses wandless magic to make the table, plates, and food disappear. She then uses the same technique to move several sofas and chairs into the drawing room, all of them centered around the fireplace and the table piled to the ceiling with gifts. She squeals with delight as she says, "It's time for Jayde to open her gifts!" and then rushes across the room to where I'm standing. Narcissa guides me over to the arm chair positioned just beside the table, and the guests clap loudly. I slowly and carefully take a seat as Narcissa takes the first present off the table and hands it to me.

The long procession of opening gifts begins with this one, and I'm still opening presents nearly forty-five minutes later when Draco, Lucius, Maximus, Damon, the Minister of Magic, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle and their fathers return to the manor to join us. Draco has a very suspicious look on his face when he first steps into the Drawing room, but when he finds all my guests and myself laughing heartily his face lights up. He makes a beeline straight towards me and gives me a sweet, passionate kiss there in front of everyone, earning cries of "Aww" from the observing crowd of women. Draco pulls a chair up beside me and watches as I continue opening presents; he says he doesn't want to interrupt my party.

The other men, including the Minister of Magic, come in and take the empty seats beside their wives, also, with Lucius and Maximus standing directly behind Narcissa and Tracy with their hands on their wives' shoulders. Thus far I've received tons of diapers, bottles, rattles, and pacifiers, as well as several sets of clothes that keep changing color from pink to blue and vice versa, since the guests didn't know which color to buy as Draco and I opted not to know the sex of our baby before it's born. I've received several picture frames from Hermione and Ginny, and a brand new camera from Mrs. Weasley and Tonks; they say it's so I can capture all of my little one's big developmental steps on camera. I thank my friends for their thoughtful gifts and rush to hug them immediately.

Once I return to my chair I receive a bassinette from Mrs. McGreggor and an alternating pink and blue crib from Draco's grandmother. Draco's Aunt Tracy and Uncle Maximus have provided a diaper changing table, and Lucius and Narcissa have bought a mobile to hang above the baby's crib as well as multiple sheet sets and pillows. I also receive several blankets, toys and teddy bears from the other guests. Once all the presents have been opened, Draco takes out his wand and banishes them to the empty room we've reserved for the baby, and we begin thanking everyone graciously.

All the guests sit around talking for quite some time; I notice that all my friends seem a bit nervous and are constantly getting strange looks from all the other guests in the room. I continue to include Hermione, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley and Tonks in the conversation, however, and nobody dares to say anything out of the way to them because of Draco's behavior earlier. Lucius later summons one of the house elves and has them bring up several bottles of firewhiskey, and the men immediately begin to indulge. When Lucius offers a glass to Draco he refuses immediately because I can't drink, but I quickly turn to look at him and assure him that I don't mind if he has a glass. Draco seems a bit uncomfortable with this but doesn't want to seem like a coward in front of all his friends, so he takes the glass from his father and starts sipping slowly, and a half an hour later all the men, Draco included, are laughing heartily and joking constantly, clearly affected by the alcohol.

Narcissa suddenly feels the need to have a drink as well, but instead of going for the firewhiskey she has Pinky bring up several bottles of butterbeer. Most of the women and girls in the room politely ask for a glass, the only exception being myself and Mrs. Weasley. Narcissa pours two extra glasses anyway and offers the first one to Molly, who reluctantly but graciously accepts. When Narcissa offers the other extra glass to me I immediately refuse, but Draco nearly loses his mind. He jumps to his feet and flicks his wand angrily, making the glass in Narcissa's hand disappear.

"What's the matter with you?" he asks his mom loudly and angrily, getting right in her face and immediately silencing the whole crowd. "You can't offer her butterbeer! She's pregnant Mum! What're you trying to do, kill the baby?"

"Young man you will calm down immediately and apologize for yelling at your Mother," Lucius says immediately, getting to his feet to intervene on Narcissa's behalf.

"Like hell I will!" Draco snaps, causing both Narcissa and I to gasp at Draco's blatant disrespect of his father. Lucius' face immediately turns a violent shade of red, but Maximus steps in to help control his brother's rage. Both men are clearly intoxicated, but they maintain their composure very well.

"Brother, calm down!" Maximus says, placing a hand on his chest, "He doesn't know!"

"Know what?" Draco asks angrily.

"Draco, butterbeer isn't alcoholic," Aunt Tracy says quietly. "It simply gives the drinker the _feeling_ of being intoxicated."

Though it's not me who's made an arse of myself, my face immediately turns bright red; I'm embarrassed _for _Draco. I see his shoulders relax and his anger subside, being quickly replaced by humiliation as he looks down at the floor. "Oh. Right," he says quietly. "I'm sorry Mum, and Dad." Lucius and Narcissa quickly nod their acceptance of his apology and Lucius and Maximus resume their seats, each of them pouring another glass of firewhiskey. Narcissa quickly pours another glass of butterbeer and slowly walks over to me, offering it.

Admittedly, I, like Draco, had no idea that butterbeer wasn't alchoholic, and now that I know it isn't I'd quite like a glass. I quickly take the glass from Narcissa and begin drinking heartily, savoring its sweet taste. Aunt Tracy was clearly right, butterbeer does create the _feeling _of being intoxicated; I'm already starting to feel warm a few minutes later. Draco, who's still standing in the middle of the still-silent room staring at the floor, finally turns and walks back to his seat beside me. Once he resumes his seat, he speaks.

"I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of all your friends," he says quietly without looking me in the eyes. I quickly place my hand on his chin and pull his face upwards, pulling him in for a tender kiss.

"It's alright, love," I say sweetly. "You were just trying to protect the baby and I love you for it; you're going to be a wonderful father."

"Really?" he asks skeptically; I nod my head in response.

"In fact, I think it was kind of cute," I say quietly.

"I am _not _cute," Draco says seriously. "_Cute _is what bunnies and kittens are." I can't help it; I _have _to laugh. I'm unsure of whether it's the recent situation or Draco's previous statement, perhaps it's even a combination of the two. Whatever it is, however, I start laughing hysterically. Following my lead, the entirety of the rest of the room bursts into raucous laughter as well. Though blushing at first, Draco slowly begins to chuckle as well, and then he buries his face in his hands laughing hysterically. When the laughter calms a few moments later, Lucius pours everyone in the room another round of what they're drinking before resuming his seat.


	17. Chapter 17 Deja Vu

***Author's Note: Out of respect for any of my readers who may not wish to read mature material, I have decided to forewarn you; this chapter is _almost completely _mature, except for a couple of paragraphs at the beginning. The mature content ends at the end of this chapter. If you feel uncomfortable reading mature content in any way, please feel free to skip the chapter; I assure you that you will not miss out on any key plot points by skipping the mature scene. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and sincerely hope that none of my readers find the mature content to be "too" mature or distasteful; I normally try not to write much mature material in case my readers do not wish to read it, but sometimes an author has to go wherever their plot-bunny leads them. For those who decide to read the chapter, please review!***

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After another two hours and several more rounds of butterbeer for the women and firewhiskey for the men, the guests slowly begin to depart. Draco is actually intoxicated by this point, and I'm "falsely" intoxicated as well. He and I thank each of our guests for their wonderful gifts as they begin their goodbyes, and I hand each woman her wand as she makes her way out the door, since Draco had confiscated them earlier. Everyone insists that the Malfoys have to have another get-together like this one soon.

When the Minister of Magic and his wife prepare to depart, Draco and I thank the both of them. "Nonsense!" the Minister exclaims. "Draco, you're a good worker and you and your young bride deserve the best!" He shakes Draco's hand wildly in his drunken stupor and then turns to me. "And _you_, young lady," he continues as he extends his hand for me to shake, "You are even more beautiful and delightful than Draco described." I blush and smile as I shake the Minister's hand, thanking him for the compliment. "Oh, I'm not just saying that!" he says loudly, waving his hand in the air. "Draco talks about you _all the time_, ask anyone!" I blush again and turn to look at Draco, who smiles at me in response.

At this, the Minister's wife, who isn't quite as intoxicated as her husband, tells him to calm down and stop yelling and takes him by the arm, bidding the Malfoys and I goodbye as she guides her husband towards the front door. Tracy, Maximus, Diane, Damon and Draco's Grandmother decide to leave at around nine p.m., leaving only Mrs. McGreggor, Hermione, Ginny, Tonks and Mrs. Weasley, who are all giddy with pseudo-drunkenness. They all decide to leave around an hour after Draco's family members, and immediately afterwards Lucius and Narcissa decide to head up to bed, both of them being drunk and exhausted.

Tired and a bit intoxicated, Draco suggests that we head up to bed as well. As I'm pseudo-stoned and exhausted myself, I don't argue; I take his hand and let him lead me upstairs to our room. The flight up the stairs is an interesting one; Draco stumbles several times, causing the both of us to break out in raucous fits of laughter. When we finally reach our bedroom door, I walk straight inside and make for the closet to change into my pajamas while Draco stays behind to close the bedroom door. As I step into the closet I slowly and carefully make to remove my dress, taking care not to stumble and fall in my false drunken state. Before I can remove my dress, however, Draco steps into the closet behind me and places his hands on my hips.

I smile and chuckle quietly before speaking to Draco; "What are you doing, love?" I ask playfully. I don't have to wait long for an answer; Draco very quickly makes it crystal clear exactly what he's up to. He leans down and gently presses his lips against the exposed skin of my shoulder. The butterbeer I've been drinking makes his kiss feel even more sensual than it usually does, and his warm breath hitting my skin adds to that affect as well. I take a deep, ragged breath in and my entire body stiffens involuntarily. Goosebumps erupt all over my body, and the centers of my breasts become taut with excitement. Draco appears not to have noticed this; he continues kissing and sucking on my shoulder for a moment before moving his lips up to my neck, which he also bombards with gentle kisses.

Though I don't want him to stop, I'm not sure that I can handle the temptation tonight. Draco and I have decided not to have sex again until we're married, so there's no point in us teasing ourselves, especially when we're both "drunk". I open my mouth to express this opinion to Draco, but the words never make it out. A loud gasp escapes my throat, instead, as Draco removes his hands from my hips and places them on my breasts, cupping them in his hands gently but firmly. I lean my head back as I sigh with pleasure and close my eyes; Draco continues to kiss and suck on my neck as he begins massaging my breasts through the silk of my new party dress. "Draco…" I call out quietly, my breathing becoming labored.

Draco doesn't respond; instead he removes his hands from my breasts and places them on my shoulders gently, turning me around to face him. I open my eyes as he does so, and stare up into his beautiful grey orbs, wondering what he's thinking. He quickly stops my chain of thought, however, by leaning down and pressing his lips to mine. He places his hands on my breasts again and slowly walks forward, easing me backwards until he's got my back pressed against the nearby closet wall. I can taste the firewhiskey on his breath as I begin to participate in the kiss, but by this point I'm too turned on to care. We start kissing hungrily; passionately, each of us acting as though the other's lips are the only thing keeping us alive. Draco quickly slides his tongue into my mouth and flicks it against mine once, teasing my tongue with his own. I respond by immediately whimpering against his lips and slipping my tongue into his mouth, repaying the favor.

I reach up and place my hands on the side of his face, pulling him closer to me as we continue to snog passionately; Draco continues caressing my breasts the whole while. Knowing that Draco will eventually put an end to this heated make-out session before things get out of hand, I decide to go ahead and end it myself; I know that the temptation will soon be too much to bear. I slowly pull my lips away from Draco's and look up into his eyes, but before I can tell him that I think we should stop, he leans down and starts kissing and sucking on my neck again while still massaging my breasts. "Oh!" I sigh. Then, gathering every ounce of resolve I have in me, I say, "Draco… um… baby… maybe we should stop. You know, before we get too carried away. There's no point in… teasing ourselves… when we know we're not going to shag." It takes quite a bit of perseverance to get this sentence out because Draco continues sucking on my neck the whole while, showing no signs of stopping, and I keep pausing and sighing in extreme pleasure.

Though I expect Draco to stop immediately once I've finished speaking, he continues fondling and kissing me. He only stops kissing my neck once for a couple of seconds to simply say, "I can't," in hushed tones, breathing heavily, before continuing what he was doing. Puzzled by his short response, I begin to wonder what he could mean while still enjoying his continued advances.

"Um… darling… what do you mean, _you can't?" _I ask a moment later, my breathing also labored.

Draco stops kissing my neck and moves his lips up to my ear, breathing heavily against it. "I can't stop," he explains, "It feels too good; I can't fight it… I can't resist you anymore."

"R… resist me?" I ask, shocked by Draco's words.

"Yes," he replies. "I've been trying to wait because I know that's what you wanted. I've tried to be strong, but it takes _every ounce of strength I have _to keep from making love to you, and I just don't have that strength tonight. If you say you want me to, I'll stop; but I don't want to. Baby, I want you… right now… _so_ badly."

I take a deep breath in and my eyes open widely as my mouth drops open at Draco's words. It feels like I'm melting on the inside; I'm both shocked and pleasantly surprised by what Draco's said. _He doesn't want to stop? He wants to make love tonight? Right now? _I consider this for a moment as Draco presses his lips against my neck again.

When Draco and I first started dating, right after our child was conceived, I told him I wanted to wait until we were married for us to shag again. But once those pregnancy hormones started kicking in, my resolve disappeared, and this whole time it's been Draco who's kept things from going too far. Though I was a little upset by it at first, I now understand that it's just because he's trying to keep his promise to me; if I wanted to wait until marriage, he was going to make sure it happened. Until now, however, it had never dawned on me exactly how hard it was for Draco to restrain himself to keep that promise. Now that he's given up, it's totally up to me to decide whether or not we shag tonight, and I have no idea which decision to make. My body is screaming, "Yes!" but my mind is unsure; I want to make the right decision but it's almost too much for my mind to handle in my falsely-drunken state. Apparently, it's hard to think clearly when one is drunk, even if it's only a "pretend" drunk, and the way Draco continues to touch me tenderly is further complicating the decision before me. When I feel the firmness of Draco's need press against me a moment later, however, all thought of anything but him and this beautiful moment ceases, and the word "Stop" is temporarily erased from my vocabulary.

I gasp loudly, causing Draco to stop kissing my neck and straighten up, looking me in the eyes. "What do you think, darling?" he asks, panting the whole while. "Should we stop?" Instead of answering him, I lean forward and pull him into a rough, hungry kiss, causing him to moan against my lips. Draco immediately removes his hands from my breasts and moves them, instead, to the zipper on the back of my dress, unzipping it all the way down. He slides the shoulder strap off my left shoulder, and then does the same with the shoulder strap on my right shoulder, causing the top of the dress to fall to the area around the center of my breasts. Draco stops kissing me and I open my eyes, looking up at him as I wonder what he's about to do. I watch as he leans down and presses his lips against the area the dress has just exposed on the top of my left breast, where my cleavage line is. I close my eyes and sigh as he continues to kiss the area, and I feel him take the silk of my party dress and ease it lower, slowly sliding it over my baby bump.

When he's got the dress past that hurdle he lets it fall the rest of the way to the floor, leaving me clad in nothing but my bra and underwear. He immediately stops kissing my breast and stands straight up, extending his right hand for me. "Come on love," he says, "let's get out of this closet." He then extends his other hand for me to take and carefully helps me step out of the ring my fallen dress has made around my ankles on the floor. Once safely rid of the dress, I kick my shoes off as well and allow Draco to lead me into our bedroom. I'm admittedly a bit nervous, but I don't have any regrets and want this very badly.

Once we get through the closet door I become a bit impatient and pull Draco towards me before turning around and pressing his back up against the bedroom wall, kissing him roughly. Draco groans loudly in response to my blatant show of desire and begins to participate in the kiss passionately. I keep my eyes closed as we kiss and blindly reach for the top button of Draco's dress shirt, unbuttoning it hastily. I do so with all the remaining buttons as well and then press my hands against his sexy bare chest, pushing the edges of the shirt backwards. Draco pushes his chest forward and stretches his arms backwards, shrugging the shirt off of his shoulders. Once that piece of clothing has been removed, I immediately begin fumbling with his belt. I succeed in getting his belt unbuckled a moment later, still kissing him the whole while, and then hastily pull the belt through the loopholes in his pants, removing it and tossing it to the floor.

Apparently just as desperate as I am, Draco begins unbuttoning his pants as I finish removing the belt. When he's finished, he quickly unzips them and slides them down, letting them hit the floor as well. He quickly steps out of his pants and stops kissing me, taking me by the hand once more. He turns me around so that I'm facing away from him and begins unfastening the clasps on the back of my bra. When he gets the third one unclasped he pushes the straps over my shoulders and helps me remove my arms from the straps before casting the bra to the floor as well, in the growing pile of unwanted clothing.

I expect Draco to remove my underwear next, but he shocks me by moving his hands up to my bare breasts instead and grasping the both of them firmly from behind. I take a deep, ragged breath in and sigh loudly as he does so, and he takes a step closer to me and presses his nearly-bare body against the back of mine in response. Loving the closeness and the feel of his bare skin against mine, I close my eyes and whimper slightly. Apparently still not feeling close enough to me, Draco kisses my ear and then kisses a trail down to my neck, which he begins kissing and sucking on once more. After a few moments, Draco stops kissing me and massaging my breasts and places his hands on the edge of my underwear, slowly sliding them down to the floor. I slowly step out of them and turn to face Draco, who leans down and scoops me up into his arms.

He carries me across the room to our bed and carefully lays me down upon it on my back before standing upright again and staring down at my naked body. "What are you staring at?" I ask nervously and breathlessly.

"You, Mrs. Malfoy," he says seriously, causing me to blush as he looks into my eyes, "you're so beautiful."

"Awww, Draco," I say quietly. Draco smiles down at me in response and slowly places his hands on the edge of his boxers before bending as he slowly slides them down and steps out of them. I can't help but look as he stands up straight again, admittedly curious. I must admit that seeing his manhood makes me a bit more nervous than I already was. Draco doesn't allow me to be nervous for long, however; he quickly walks over to the bed and lays down beside me to my left. He props himself up on his right arm and immediately leans forward, pulling me in to a tender kiss. It feels strange, but wonderful, to feel the bare skin of his entire body against mine.

As Draco and I continue to kiss, I feel him place his left hand on my stomach, and he slowly starts sliding it downwards over my baby bump. I give a small, involuntary shudder as he reaches my opening and I gasp when he slowly begins to slide two of his fingers inside it. I continue kissing him in the hopes of masking how nervous I am, but I find myself incapable of kissing a moment later when he begins massaging me internally with his fingers. In fact, I find myself incapable of doing anything except sighing and gasping loudly with pleasure while staring up into his eyes longingly as he continues to caress me. I find hunger and need in Draco's eyes as I look up at him; he's watching me with a look of clear arousal on his face.

A moment later Draco reaches down and presses his lips against the bare skin of my chest, and then he surprises me by doing something he's never done before. He moves his lips down even further, to the centers of my breasts which have become sensitive with excitement. Then, out of nowhere, he takes the raised center of my right breast into his mouth and starts kissing and sucking on it. Both shocked and pleased, I gasp out "Oh, Draco!" quietly.

Draco stops momentarily and stretches his right hand outwards toward his pants, which are lying abandoned on the floor, and says "_Accio_," summoning his wand to him. The wand comes flying towards us and Draco takes it in his hand. Then he turns slightly and aims his wand at the bedroom door behind him, saying "_Muffliato!" _I recognize this spell immediately as the silencing charm; it will keep anyone outside this room from being able to hear us. Once the spell is complete Draco flings his wand back down on the floor carelessly and looks at me again. "There, love," he says, "now you can moan as loud as you don't have to whisper if you don't want to." Once finished speaking, Draco returns his lips to my right breast, causing me to cry out once more. Draco grunts against my skin in response each time I do, and within a few moments I'm unsure of how much more pleasure I'll be able to stand.

I feel some sort of internal explosion beginning to build up inside me, and I whimper each time Draco's fingers stroke me as the pleasure intensifies. The explosion begins a moment later, and my entire body stiffens but shakes at the same time as I cry out Draco's name, my breathing becoming even more labored than it already was. Apparently liking this, Draco stops kissing my breast and stares up at me, watching as I reach the height of pleasure. Once the peak of my passion has passed I begin gasping for air, and Draco presses his lips against mine firmly and removes his fingers from their current location. He and I snog passionately for several moments until he pulls his lips away from mine and stares into my eyes. "Are you sure about this, love?" he asks quietly.

"Yes, I'm sure," I reply, panting heavily.

As soon as I finish speaking, Draco leans down and presses his lips against mine once more. We kiss for several moments, the desire building in each of us as we do so. As we continue to kiss, I feel Draco move his right hand, which he's been using to support himself, to the area between the lower half of both of our bodies. Trying not to concentrate on how nervous I am, I focus instead on continuing to kiss Draco as though nothing out of the ordinary is about to happen, putting all my thoughts and energy into the kiss. I feel Draco use his hand to slide my left leg further away from my right leg, and then he also uses his hand to guide his manhood towards its destination.

I tremble slightly when I feel Draco's skin graze the outside of my womanhood, but I continue to focus solely on kissing him as a means of distraction. Slowly and gently, Draco begins to ease his way inside me, causing me to stop kissing him abruptly and open my eyes. The breath catches in my throat as I look up at Draco, who immediately opens his eyes once I've stopped kissing him. He continues sliding himself further and further inside me, and when it will go no further he rolls his eyes and exhales loudly as he moves his right hand back towards the head of the bed, using it to help support his weight once more. "Oh baby," he sighs. Then, reopening his eyes he looks down into mine and tries to gauge my reaction to the reunion of our bodies.

My eyes wide and my mouth slightly ajar, I can't help but think that this feels different than I thought it would; it actually feels _better _than I'd anticipated. "D… does it hurt, love?" Draco asks breathlessly. Unable to speak, I simply shake my head in response. "Well then what's wrong?" he asks. When I still haven't answered him a moment later, Draco realizes why I'm so stunned and a look of understanding comes across his face. "This feels just as good to you as it does to me, doesn't it?" he asks seductively. I nod my head in response, confirming his suspicions, and he leans down and presses his lips against mine. As we continue to kiss, he slowly extracts himself and then re-inserts himself, causing the breath to catch in my throat once more, interrupting our kiss. "Oh Merlin," Draco quietly exclaims, closing his eyes.

Draco thrusts again, with a little more force this time, which causes me to cry out, calling his name. He moans in response before thrusting again with even more force. This thrust is so powerful that my back arches involuntarily, and I throw my head back and moan, thoroughly enjoying this. Hesitating no longer, Draco begins to thrust with increased speed and power, nearly driving me insane with pleasure. I place my hands on his back and dig my fingernails into his skin, causing him to grunt with pleasure. I begin to raise my hips each time Draco thrusts, intensifying the experience. Staring directly into each other's eyes lovingly, Draco and I continue to enjoy the sensations our bodies are giving each other, the both of us sighing and panting heavily the whole while.

After about fifteen minutes of passionate love-making, I begin to feel another internal explosion building up inside me, and when he notices my whimpering again Draco realizes it's happening as well. He takes the center of my breast into his mouth once more as he continues to thrust, making me feel as though I'll soon go insane from the intensity of this pleasure. When my body stiffens, Draco quickly moves his lips to my ears and whispers, "I love you… _so much," _causing me to moan loudly and roll my eyes in delight.

When the sensation has ended I reply, "I… love… you… too," gasping for air the whole while. Though still thrusting powerfully, Draco leans down and starts snogging me like his life depends on it, and I happily kiss him in response. When he starts grunting against my lips a few moments later, however, I realize that the peak of his passion is about to arrive and roughly thrust my hips against his, wanting to send him to the height of passion. Draco immediately stops kissing me and groans loudly, his eyes growing wide. With a few more forceful jolts inside me, Draco's peak comes crashing down upon him.

"Oh… Jayde!" he moans as his entire body stiffens, in much the same manner as mine had earlier. Breathing heavily, he grabs a fistful of the bed sheets in his hands and squeezes them fiercely, and seeing him in such euphoria pleases me even more. Draco remains stationary for a few moments, staring down into my eyes as he allows his breathing to slow down a bit, and then leans down and kisses me once more.

When he and I stop kissing a moment later, he slowly eases himself out of me and off of me, flopping down on the bed beside me to my right. He places his hand on my left hip, rolling me over to face him. Both of us panting heavily, Draco wraps his arm around me and kisses my forehead. I cuddle up against him like a small child and lean my head against his chest, feeling it rise and fall quickly as Draco's pulse slowly begins to return to normal. I feel my eyes begin to get heavy a few moments later, and I'm apparently not the only one who's now completely drained, between the party, alcohol (or lack thereof), and now the shagging. "Goodnight, darling," Draco says quietly. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby," I reply sincerely before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.


	18. Chapter 18 Waking Up

The first thing I notice when I wake up the next day, before I even open my eyes, is that there's a dull ache in my lower back. Stretching slightly, I open my eyes and find myself in the exact same position I'd gone to sleep in last night; curled up against Draco with my head resting against the bare skin of his chest. I accidentally wake Draco as I stretch, and he takes a deep breath in and opens his eyes, looking over at me.

"Good morning, darling," he says with a smile.

"Good morning," I reply slowly.

"Oh, I've got _a headache_!" he exclaims, placing his right hand on his forehead. "I shouldn't have drank that much."

Draco saying the word "drank" suddenly reminds me of last night's activities. Since I was so pseudo-stoned last night, I can't remember if the shagging actually happened, or if it was just a dream. "Draco," I begin cautiously, "did we really… you know… last night?"

"Well, I know _I'm _naked," he says with a smile. "If you are too then I'd say it's safe to assume that yes, we made love last night for the first time… without being _forced to_, that is. And from what I can recall, you were _amazing._" There's a very tender look in his eyes when Draco says this.

Taking his words literally, I lean back slightly and gaze down at the space between our two bodies that's covered up by the blankets. Sure enough, the pale bare skin of my breasts is clearly visible, proving Draco right when he said that we really shagged last night. "Oh my God, I'm naked!" I exclaim, beginning to scramble to wrap more of the sheets around my exposed body. I'm terribly embarrassed, and I feel my cheeks getting hot, clearly turning red.

Sensing my uneasiness, Draco grabs hold of my arm, preventing me from covering myself. "No running away this time," he says quietly and seriously, looking me straight in the eyes. "I know last night wasn't… planned or anything," he continues, "and I'm sorry. I should've had more self control; I feel like I've failed you."

"No baby, don't apologize for making love to me," I reply. "It was my choice. You said you'd stop if I wanted you to. I'm not angry at you at all; last night was amazing and I wanted it just as much as you did, if not more… I'm just a little embarrassed is all."

"But you shouldn't be," he says, pulling me closer to him so that our bare skin is touching. "I don't care if it's not official yet, love, you _are _my wife," he says. "And we're going to be shagging and being naked around each other for the rest of our lives… if I have anything to say about it, anyway." I giggle at this statement and Draco smiles in response before continuing. "We might as well get used to this now, even if it does feel a bit strange at first."

Smiling, I lean my head against Draco's skin and actually enjoy feeling our bare bodies pressed against each other; somehow it makes me feel closer to him in an emotional way as well as a physical way. "This is nice," Draco says as he continues to hold me, apparently reading my thoughts again.

"Mhmm," I mumble in response, closing my eyes and breathing in his intoxicating scent.

"Well, I know last night was a bit of a flop; I broke my promise to you," Draco says a moment later, rubbing my arm gently. "I know you're not upset but I'll make it up to you. As of right now we're going to wait until we're married before we make love again. Seriously this time, though. Deal?"

"Deal," I reply quietly, a bit taken aback by his statement. Don't get me wrong; I appreciate that Draco cares this much about keeping his promise to me, but I don't really see the point in waiting _again, _and the fact that he's now willing to wait before having sex again makes the paranoid part of my mind wonder if he really enjoyed last night at all. _Wouldn't he want to do it again right away if it had felt good? Sure, he said it was amazing, but what if he's just saying that to keep from upsetting me?_ Though I try to act normal to prevent Draco from knowing what's on my mind, he can tell that something's wrong and questions me about it right away.

"What's the matter, love?" he asks with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Nothing darling," I reply in my most cheerful voice, looking up at him with a smile in the hopes of convincing him that I'm telling the truth. I hate lying to him but don't want him knowing about all my insecurities; I worry that they'll make him feel like he's done something wrong when he hasn't.

"Are you sure?" he asks, clearly not convinced.

"Yes, I'm sure, nothing's wrong," I reply, smiling once again.

Draco gives me a look that clearly says he still doesn't believe me, but after a moment he nods his head and says "Okay".

We continue to lie there naked in each other's arms for about half an hour and almost fall back asleep, still being exhausted from yesterday's activities. Before we can fall asleep, however, there's a loud knock on our bedroom door. Draco groans in agony and places his hand on his forehead again; apparently the loud knocking is worsening his already horrible headache. I'm now quite thankful that butterbeer creates the feeling of being drunk without causing any of the negative side effects, such as the horrible headache Draco's got this morning; I'm completely unaffected and feel fine… it's as though I didn't drink last night at all.

"WHAT?" Draco calls out angrily in response to the unknown person's knock.

"Draco, it's already past lunchtime," Narcissa responds from behind the door. "You've been asleep all morning; I thought I'd come wake the two of you up so you can eat something."

"Well did you have to knock so loud?" he asks.

"Ah, I see you woke up with a hangover this morning, too," Narcissa replies, chuckling slightly. "Your father brewed a potion to make himself feel better… I'll have him make you one, too."

"Thanks Mum," Draco replies quietly, seeming a little embarrassed that his mother's being so nice when he was being so rude to her. "We'll be down for lunch shortly."

"Okay," Narcissa says before walking away from the door. Once Narcissa is out of earshot, Draco speaks to me.

"Ugh… do we _have _to get up?" he asks rhetorically. "I'd love to just lay here with you… just like this… all day long."

"Really?" I ask quietly.

"Of course!" he replies, looking me in the eyes with a puzzled look on his face. "Why wouldn't I?" I shrug my shoulders in response to his question. "Darling, are you _sure _there's nothing bothering you? There's _nothing_ you want to talk about?" he asks.

"Yes, I'm sure," I lie.

"Okay," Draco replies shortly. "Well you know if you did want to talk to me about something, you could, right? There's nothing you can't talk to me about."

"I know," I reply. I now feel even more guilty for not telling Draco what's wrong, but I'm still quite certain that telling him my fears would only cause him to be afraid that he's done something wrong, and I won't have _him_ feeling guilty because _I'm_ insecure.

"Well, I guess we'd better get downstairs then," Draco says a few moments later.

"Yeah, we'd better," I reply.

Draco slowly slides away from me and then, out of nowhere, he flings the bed sheets off himself unabashedly and gets to his feet, not even bothering to _try _to cover his complete nudity. I gasp but am unable to look away, staring at his muscular physique with wide eyes. "What?" he asks playfully, turning to look back at me. "It's not like you've never seen it before!"

Laughing, I turn away from Draco and grab the covers, wrapping them around me as I prepare to get to my feet. Remembering what Draco said earlier about how we should get used to seeing each other in the buff, however, I decide to abandon the covers and be as bold as he was about my nudity. I feel very exposed as I push myself off the bed, and I make my way towards the closet to grab a pair of clothes, picking up my abandoned bra off the bedroom floor as I do.

As he's already in the closet, Draco hasn't seen my naked body yet, but when I step into the closet and brush past him he takes a deep breath in. Feeling slightly vindictive, I look over at him to find that his eyes are traveling up and down, exploring every inch of me. "What are you looking at dear?" I ask playfully. "It's not like you've never seen it before."

Raising his eyes so that they meet mine, Draco smirks and shakes his head. "I'm going to get you for that," he says playfully. "You just wait until our wedding night." I laugh in response and start taking clothes down off the racks, getting dressed to go downstairs for breakfast.


	19. Chapter 19 Insecurities

Once Draco and I have eaten lunch and Draco's had a dose of his father's anti-hangover potion, the two of us decide to go up to the nursery and take a second glance at all the wonderful presents we received yesterday for the baby. I'm happy for the distraction; except for a few odd moments, it keeps me from thinking about what happened last night and this morning. We take many of the presents out of their respective boxes and place them in odd spots around the room, admiring them. Deciding to go ahead and get the pieces of furniture we received situated, Draco and I glance around the room looking for the best place to put them.

We put the crib from Draco's grandmother up against the wall at the back of the room, where my bed was situated before Draco and I started sharing a room. We place all the sets of clothes, blankets, and teddy bears inside the crib. Then we set the changing table from Tracy and Maximus up against the adjacent wall to the left. We place the diapers, pacifiers and rattles we received on top of it. When we begin examining the camera I received from my friends, Draco says he'd like to take a picture of me.

"No!" I reply with a smile. "The camera is for _the baby_!"

"Exactly!" he says, "And if we're going to document the baby's _entire life_, we'll have to have a picture of you pregnant!"

Though I can't argue with his reasoning, I still don't want him to take a picture of me. Draco aims the camera at me anyway, though, snapping a nearly full-length shot of me as I try to turn away. He taps the camera with his wand, causing the picture to develop instantly, and with a quiet _Whoosh_ a piece of paper appears in his hand. I walk over to examine the picture and can't help but think that I look awful, but Draco smiles and says it's perfect. As I examine the picture more closely, I realize that it's moving; apparently my friend's didn't just get me any old camera… they got me a camera that takes _moving _shots, like the cameras the people at the Daily Prophet use.

"Oh that's wonderful!" I exclaim, looking down at the paper and watching myself laugh and turn away as Draco tried to snap the shot.

"I agree," Draco smiles.

"I wasn't talking about the picture; I was talking about the fact that the camera can take moving shots," I reply.

"Well the picture is amazing, too," Draco replies, flicking his wand at the paper. A second copy of the picture appears in Draco's hand and I quickly ask him why he needs two copies. "Because one's for my desk at work," he says happily, flicking his wand and banishing the picture to the said location.

"No, Draco, that picture's awful!" I say, horrified, grabbing for the picture in vain. Draco kisses me on the cheek quickly and assures me that he loves the picture, and then he sets the camera, picture, and the frames we received inside the bassinette from Mrs. McGreggor. Once we've finished going through all our gifts we go back downstairs as it's time for dinner, and immediately after dinner we take a long stroll around the manor grounds. Since we both slept quite late this morning, neither of us are ready for bed yet, so we go inside and watch a film on the slide projector in the Drawing Room. It's a romance entitled From the Bottom of my Empty Cauldron_, _and by the time the movie's over I'm both crying and exhausted.

Draco and I go upstairs for bed after the movie since he's got to be up early in the morning to go back to work, and though he falls asleep almost instantly I find myself unable to do so. Having been busy all day, I haven't really had time to think about last night's activities much, but now that I'm awake and practically alone, I can't stop the insecurities from sneaking up on me once more. I once again question to myself whether or not our first time making love was good enough for Draco; whether he actually enjoyed it or not. Thinking back to what happened after we woke up, I suddenly feel very stupid for walking into the closet naked like I did; how stupid must I have looked to Draco? How do I even know he _wanted _to see me naked after my horrible performance last night? What was I thinking?

I'm unable to prevent the tears from flowing, and I accidentally wake Draco with my suppressed sobs. "Darling, what's wrong?" he asks, pulling me close to him. I shake my head fervently, trying to stop crying. "Baby, something's been bothering you _all day, _I can _tell_!" he says, kissing my forehead. "Why won't you just tell me? Are you still embarrassed about last night? Is that what it is?" Deciding that simply agreeing with what he's asked would be the easiest solution to my problem, I nod my head in response. "Aww, baby," he says gently, hugging me even more tightly. "It's all right dear," he continues, "I know it's a lot to get used to but it'll be fine, you'll see. You have _nothing _to be embarrassed about, all right?" I look up into his eyes, wanting desperately to tell him the truth but still feeling uncomfortable about doing so.

"Okay," I reply, nodding my head in response. I lean my head against Draco's chest and slowly begin to calm down; not wanting him to realize that there's something else that's bothering me. I feel my eyes getting heavy a few moments later, and I doze off without even realizing I have.

I wake the next morning when I feel Draco moving beside me, getting out of bed to get ready for work. Still feeling a bit depressed about yesterday, I go straight back up to our room once Draco's eaten breakfast and left, wrapping up under the covers and wishing I could just disappear from within them. I fall asleep out of sheer boredom, and Narcissa comes upstairs and wakes me a few hours later to tell me lunch is ready. I immediately tell her I'm not hungry without bothering to lower the covers and look at her. I can hear the concern in her voice when she asks if I'm feeling well, but when I tell her that I'm just tired and need more rest, she leaves the room almost immediately.

I seriously hope that she's decided to just drop it and leave me alone, but less than an hour later I hear a quiet knock on my bedroom door. "Come in," I mumble, still not bothering to lower the covers from around my face. I hear the door open slowly and then the carpet-muffled sounds of feet approaching, but then I'm completely taken off guard when Narcissa flops down on the right side of the bed forcefully, nearly scaring me out of my wits. Before I can get the covers down from around my face, I hear a familiar voice speak; but it isn't Narcissa's. "Jayde almost-Malfoy, you get out of bed _this instant!"_ the familiar voice says loudly.

Finally lowering the covers from around my eyes, I see that it was Pansy who walked into the room and flopped down on the bed. She's sitting up and looking down at me with a smug smile on her face. "Pansy?" I ask in shock, "What are you doing here?"

"Narcissa came and got me," she explains, "she said you seemed a bit depressed about something and thought I could cheer you up. You want to talk about it?"

"Um… not just yet," I reply as I press onto my hands and push myself up into a seated position.

"Okay," Pansy replies. Then she quickly gets to her feet and walks over to the closet, disappearing inside. I follow her movements with my eyes as she walks across the room.

"What are you doing?" I call to her once I've seen where she's going.

"Getting you some clothes; we're going to Diagon Alley," she calls in response.

"Pansy, I really don't feel like going anywhere today," I say quietly.

"Which is exactly why you _need_ to go somewhere. And I'm not _asking _if you want to go, I'm _telling you_… you're going! Now get up!" I wonder for a moment if she's serious, but when she returns from the closet with some of my clothes I realize that she is. Stunned, I just sit there staring at her for a moment. She places the clothes she's picked for me to wear on the edge of the bed and then crosses her arms, glaring at me.

"Okay, okay, I'm going!" I say in an exasperated tone. I fling the covers off of me grumpily and get out of bed, grabbing the clothes Pansy's chosen and walking into the bathroom. I shower and dress quickly before using my wand to dry my hair. When I step out of the bathroom about twenty minutes later, Pansy's got a pair of black flat shoes waiting for me. I slip into the shoes and quickly don my makeup and jewelry, and as soon as I'm finished Pansy grabs me by the arm and starts pulling me downstairs.

"Jayde!" Narcissa calls when we reach the entrance hall, "Good to see you out of bed!" I roll my eyes grumpily in response as she walks over to me and pulls me into a hug. "I'm sorry dear," she says quietly, "but I was worried about you. Go have fun today… It'll make you feel better; I promise. And for Merlin's sake, _eat something!" _I nod my head in agreement, and Pansy immediately begins pulling me through the front door and out onto the manor grounds.

"Guard her with your life, Pansy," Narcissa calls after us, "or Draco will kill us both!"

"I will!" Pansy yells back, still pulling me towards the gates to Malfoy Manor. I realize from Narcissa's words that I should probably tell Draco where I'm going, so I close my eyes and direct my thoughts towards him.

"Draco, I'm going to Diagon Alley with Pansy for a little while," I think quietly.

"Oh… okay dear… have fun," Draco replies, clearly a bit taken aback; this is the first time Pansy and I have really 'hung out', and she's not someone I consider my friend. She's merely an acquaintance because she's known Draco since they were eleven years old.

I reopen my eyes once Draco's finished speaking to find that Pansy's got us out of the gates now and is preparing to disapparate. I prepare myself for the squeezing sensation and wonder what Pansy could possibly have in store for me today. I mentally kick myself because I know if I'd just gotten up this morning instead of going back to bed, none of this would be happening right now.

When Pansy and I land in Diagon Alley a moment later she immediately begins pulling me towards the far end; towards all the high-class restaurants the Malfoys and I often eat at. "Pansy, I'm here now… you can let go of my arm. I can walk on my own, you know… and besides, you're hurting me," I say determinedly.

"Right. Sorry," she says immediately, releasing my arm. Finally free to walk by myself, I walk alongside Pansy instead of being dragged behind her. We walk quite a ways, to the very end of Diagon Alley. When we reach the familiar Golden Cauldron, the last restaurant on the right side of the street, Pansy turns and makes her way to the door. I follow her inside, and the two of us take a seat in one of the booths nearest the door, with a window view.


	20. Chapter 20 Revelations

As soon as Pansy and I are seated at our table at the Golden Cauldron, a waitress walks up quickly and excitedly, acting as though Pansy and I are celebrities. Then I realize that to this girl, and half the rest of the wizarding world, we _are _like celebrities. "Miss Parkinson! Miss Malfoy! How are you today?" she asks.

"Okay," I say quietly, ignoring the girl's ignorance to the fact that my last name _isn't_ Malfoy yet.

"Fine," Pansy snaps quickly, "now could you please go get us both a glass of water?"

"Right away, Miss Parkinson!" the waitress says excitedly. She curtseys to us politely and then scurries off to get our drinks. Pansy and I sit in silence for a moment until she returns, and when she brings us our drinks we both begin gulping them down greedily. Finally having drunk my fill, I return my glass to the wooden table and look over to the left, where the waitress is awaiting our order patiently.

"We're not ready to order yet," Pansy snaps. The poor girl's face falls in disappointment and she nods her head before quickly scurrying away, so as not to upset the restaurant patron any further. Pansy and I sit there in an awkward silence for a few moments after the waitress walks off, and then Pansy starts trying to fill that silence with small talk. When that fails a few moments later, however, we revert to sitting in silence once more. We both slowly sip on our waters and gaze out the window to the left in silent contemplation.

I wonder to myself if I should talk to Pansy about my concerns, if only to get them off my chest. I have to admit, it would feel wonderful to have someone to talk to; I know Hermione and Ginny wouldn't understand because they're not only virgins, they're also Draco's enemies. I don't exactly feel comfortable talking to, or even being around Pansy, however; she and I aren't exactly the best of friends. Lost in thought, I continue to stare out the window and slurp on my drink; it's only a few moments later that I realize my cup is now empty. I return my cup to the table and immediately wish I had another glass of water; that'd at least make it _look like _I was too busy to talk to Pansy.

As if she's somehow read my thoughts, the young waitress comes scurrying back over to the table with a pitcher of water; the sound of her pouring it into my glass makes my thoughts return to the present. When the waitress has finished refilling my glass, I mumble a quick "Thanks," and she nods her head and scurries off once more. I take a sip of my freshly-refilled water and then glance across the table at Pansy, who is still gazing out the window with a glossy look in her eyes. Unable to contain my worries any longer, I quickly decide to spill the beans to Pansy; if only to put an end to this eerie silence.

"Um… Pansy?" I begin apprehensively.

"Yes?" she replies immediately, quickly turning her head forward to look at me and abandoning her window view.

"I think I'm ready to talk about what's bothering me," I reply.

"Great!" she says enthusiastically, "Go ahead."

Unsure of how to begin my story, I decide to start with the most uncomfortable and shocking bit of news, to get it over with. "Well, Draco and I… you know… _shagged _Saturday night… for the first time."

"Really?" she asks, her eyes bulging. "How was it?"

"Amazing," I reply dreamily, a bit taken aback by her question.

"Well then why is that bothering you?" she asks with a quick glance over my shoulder.

"Because it was amazing for _me_," I reply worriedly, "but what if it wasn't amazing for _Draco?_ I didn't know what I was doing; what if I was horrible?"

"Awww, Jayde," Pansy replies, placing her hands on top of mine across the table in a supportive way. "That's what's wrong?" I nod my head in response as a single tear rolls down my cheek. "I'm sure it was amazing for Draco, too," she replies sincerely.

"I'm not so sure," I reply, bowing my head in shame and staring down at the table.

"Well what did you two do afterwards?" Pansy asks.

"We cuddled until we fell asleep," I reply, looking up into her eyes.

"See! That _proves_ he loved it!" Pansy exclaims. "He wouldn't have wanted to hold you afterwards if he didn't enjoy it! Or at least, that's what Blaise tells me all the time."

Completely stunned by Pansy's accidental confession, I look her straight in the eyes with my eyebrows raised and my mouth agape. "You and Blaise are...?" I begin, but Pansy cuts me off.

Blushing violently, she shushes me. "Be quiet!" she begs. "Yes, Blaise and I have been fooling around for a while now… we've only just decided to officially call ourselves a couple."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" I say happily. Pansy smiles but quickly returns to the subject at hand.

"That's not what this is about, though," she says, "this is about you and Draco, and Blaise always tells me that guys don't want to touch their girlfriends after sex if they didn't enjoy it… so you have _nothing _to worry about." Hopeful but still unconvinced, I stare down at the table once more. "Did he _say _anything afterwards?" Pansy asks quietly. "You know, about whether it was good or not?"

"He _said _it was good," I reply glumly, looking up at Pansy once more, "but what if he just said that to make me feel better? Pansy, Draco and I are about to be married! What if Draco doesn't want to marry me anymore because I'm so bad in the sack, and he just doesn't want to tell me and hurt my feelings because I'm carrying his baby?"

"Jayde, you need to calm down," Pansy says intensely. "It's just nerves. You're getting nervous about the big day and it's making you paranoid… you have _nothing _to worry about; you _know _Draco loves you! There's _nothing _you could do that would change that, or disappoint him!"

Suddenly, as soon as Pansy says these words, something clicks in my mind. She's right… she's _absolutely right!_ I _know _that Draco loves me _no matter what_, and I suddenly feel very foolish for doubting him for one second. Blushing and wide-eyed, I allow myself to do something I haven't in days; smile. Seeing the worry slowly disappear from my face, Pansy realizes she's been helpful.

"See, you know I'm right!" she says happily. I nod my head in response, laughing at myself internally for being so stupid and allowing my insecurities to get the better of me. Feeling a new and somewhat strange friendship beginning to form between Pansy and myself, I thank her graciously for bringing me to Diagon alley and listening to me, making me realize what I knew all along. She assures me that it was no problem; she says she considers Draco and I to be her friends and she'll help us out in any way she can. Knowing that Pansy is more Draco's friend than she is mine, however, I suddenly feel the need to ask her not to let Draco know what we talked about today.

"Pansy, just promise me you won't tell Draco," I say quietly.

"Wh… why?" she asks, immediately blushing and looking very worried.

"Because I don't want him to know that I've been worried about this… I was just being insecure and I needed someone... a _girl… with experience… _to talk to. Draco wouldn't understand; he'd think _he_ was the cause of my insecurities… that _he _was doing something wrong when it was really just me being foolish."

"I don't think he'd feel that way," Pansy says nervously, her eyes shifting way too many times for my comfort. "And I won't _have _to tell Draco."

"Why not?" I ask suspiciously.

"Because you just did," she says guiltily; now it's _her _turn to look down at the table in shame.

I wonder for a moment what Pansy could possibly mean, but just then someone places their hand on my left shoulder. Being too familiar with his touch, I automatically know the person behind me is Draco, and my eyes widen in shock and fear. He leans down and kisses my left cheek and whispers, "Hello darling," in my ear quietly, sending chills down my spine. My mind starts racing in panic as Draco walks around the side of the table; I wonder exactly how much of that conversation he just heard. I turn my head to the right and look up at Draco, who's now standing right beside the table. He's staring down at me with a smile on his face, but there's a strange look in his eyes; he looks… hurt. He looks away from me a moment later and speaks to Pansy.

"Parkinson," he begins, "would you mind giving Jayde and I some privacy? We've got a lot to talk about, as I'm sure you're aware."

Temporarily distracted from my terror, I return my gaze to Pansy, who's looking straight at me with a pleading look in her eyes. Though moments ago I was beginning to feel a friendship forming between the two of us, I now only feel hatred towards her. _I should never have trusted her! That lying, manipulative slag!_ _She tricked me!_ I think to myself. I set my jaw and glare back at Pansy, who I'm sure can see the anger on my face. Pansy turns her head and looks up at Draco before nodding her approval, indicating that she will leave so Draco and I can talk. She looks back at me as she leaves her seat and I keep my gaze locked on her, hoping to communicate through my eyes how much I hate her now. I follow her with my eyes as she stands and allows Draco to sit, and once she's got her back to him she silently mouths the words "I'm sorry," before walking out of the restaurant.

Once she's out of sight, Draco picks up one of the menus lying on the table and begins leafing through it half-heartedly. He and I sit in an uncomfortable silence for a moment before the waitress scurries over, unable to contain her excitement at seeing another semi-celebrity today. "Mr. Malfoy!" she exclaims, "So good to see you! What would you like to drink?"

"Water," Draco replies quietly.

"And will Miss Parkinson be returning?" the waitress asks.

"No," Draco answers, without bothering to look up at the waitress.

_Not if she knows what's good for her!_ I think to myself.

"Okay," the young blonde waitress replies, picking Pansy's empty glass up off the table. "Are you ready to order?"

"I think so," Draco replies before finally looking up at me for the first time since taking his seat. "Have you eaten, love?" he asks quietly.

_Great! _I think to myself. _He's just going to act like nothing happened and stay upset at me all day! _"No," I reply with a gentle shake of my head, "I'm not hungry."

"Baby, you've got to eat something," he replies tenderly.

"Oh… okay," I reply softly, "um… just get me whatever you're having." Draco nods his head in response and turns to the waitress, indicating the menu item he's selected. As he does so, I place my elbow on the table and rest my head on top of my closed fist, gazing out the window and hoping for a way out of this awkward situation. I get so caught up in this thought that I don't realize that the waitress has finished our order and walked off; it's only when I hear Draco call my name loudly that I'm snapped back to reality. I jerk my head towards the sound of Draco's voice and say "Yes," quickly.

"What's wrong?" he asks sincerely. Deciding that now is _not _the time for more lies, I choose to tell Draco exactly what's on my mind.

"I know you're upset about what you just heard and I don't want to pretend that nothing happened, it'll only lead to more problems between us. I don't want to wait until later to discuss this; I want to talk it out now." Draco nods his head in agreement with what I'm saying and stares down at the table thoughtfully for a moment before speaking, choosing his words. I stare at him patiently, waiting for his response.

"I'm not mad at you," he says softly, lifting his head until his eyes meet mine.

"You're… not?" I ask, unable to hide the hint of surprise in my voice.

"No," he replies, gently shaking his head. "I'm just… hurt… that you didn't feel you could trust me enough to come to _me_ about your concerns."

"You think I don't _trust _you?" I ask with my eyebrows furrowed, completely shocked.

"No! No, I didn't mean it that way," Draco says quickly. "I just meant… I want you to feel comfortable enough with me that you know you can come to me about _anything_, even this. I guess I don't give you that sense of comfort, and for that I'm sorry. I guess I'm really just upset at myself."

His words make my heart hurt… this is _exactly _what I thought would happen if I told Draco about my insecurities. "See! This is _why _I didn't want to come to you about it!" I say in an exasperated tone. "My insecurities have nothing to do with you."

"If I was doing my job, and had kept my promise to you, you wouldn't _have _any insecurities," Draco replies solemnly.

I gasp and my jaw drops immediately in response to his statement. "Draco, don't say that!" I exclaim. Then, wanting to put an end to this conversation as quickly as possible, I begin spilling the beans to Draco… all of them at once. "How do you expect me to be comfortable with my body right now?" I ask. "I'm 17 years old and thirty-two weeks pregnant! I feel like a bloody whale and I waddle like a duck! My back hurts _all the time_, my feet swell if I'm on them too long, and my stomach's the size of a boulder! I'm having an even harder time controlling my emotions now; harder than usual, I mean. I'm about to be a mother, and your wife, and it's all new to me! Brides are supposed to be all blushing and beautiful and thin and… _virgins... _I'm _none _of those things! And _shagging _is new to me, too… everything's changing at once! I wanted our first time to be special; I wanted to please you. But I didn't know what I was doing and I could barely participate at all because of the baby, and now every time you think about our first time you'll be horrified when you imagine my huge belly in between us!"

Having finished this entire speech in only one breath, I begin gasping for air immediately afterwards. Much to my surprise, Draco chuckles slightly and a soft smile crosses his face. Confused, I look up at him and ask, "What?"

"Got a little worked up there, did you dear?" he asks with a laugh.

Glad to see his mood improving, I laugh along with him and playfully say, "Shut up".

This only causes Draco to laugh harder, and he reaches for my hand across the table, taking it into his own as he looks deep into my eyes. I'm amazed by how much the mood between us has improved over the last few seconds. "I'm sorry dear," he says quietly, "I jumped to the wrong conclusion. I'm just… _so excited _about the baby and the wedding that sometimes I forget that those can be very stressful things for a woman. I can't imagine what it must be like to have a baby growing inside you, and you're trying to plan our wedding on top of all that. And then I went and added more stress and worries onto it. I'm sorry for the way I acted, and I understand why you'd want to talk to another woman about it before you talked to me. Forgive me?"

"No, there's nothing to forgive you for," I reply. "_I'm _the one who should be apologizing. I should've known you'd understand if I just told you what was going on, and I'm sorry for not giving you the chance to understand by not coming to you about it. We can solve anything if we'll just talk about it, and that's what I should have done. Forgive _me_?"

Instead of answering, Draco leans his head forward across the table and touches my chin lightly, pulling me in for a tender kiss. When he stops kissing me he leans even further forward, pressing his lips up against my left ear. "Your baby bump makes you even _more _beautiful to me," he says quietly. "And it _certainly _didn't prevent you from pleasing me... I certainly couldn't tell that you didn't know what you were doing. And just in case I didn't make it clear before," he whispers right there in the crowded restaurant, "you were _amazing_ Saturday night, Mrs. Malfoy." Shocked and pleased, I shiver as a chill runs down my spine.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Absolutely," he replies without a second thought.

We lean back in our seats and smile at each other across the table, and the waitress returns with our food a moment later. Suddenly ravenous, I begin eating immediately, and Draco watches me, glad to see that my appetite has returned. We devour our food quickly, and then Draco places a handful of galleons on the table to cover the meal and the waitress' tip. He stands and makes his way over to my side of the table and offers his arm to help me up.

I get to my feet and the two of us walk out of the restaurant arm-in-arm, but when Draco asks if I'm ready to apparate I stop. "You're on lunch!" I reply. "You don't have time to take me home; you've got to get back to work!"

"Darling," he begins, "you're thirty-two weeks pregnant. Your back hurts and your feet swell if you're on them too long, and I am _not _letting you apparate alone. Not while I'm here."


	21. Chapter 21 Rumors

Once we apparate back to Malfoy Manor, Draco gives me a light kiss on the cheek and bids me farewell outside the manor gates. He disapparates once more, heading back to work, and I begin making my way up to the manor.

When I reach the steps Pansy comes flying through the front door, bawling like a baby. "I'm so sorry, Jayde!" she calls. "I should've told you Draco was standing there! I just wanted to help!" She pulls me into a tight hug and practically begs for my forgiveness. Though I am admittedly still very angry at her for what she did, I have to admit that her tricking me actually helped Draco and I work things out, so I tell her I accept her apology. She says she hopes we can still be friends, and I quietly agree. I make a mental note, however, not to trust Pansy with sensitive information ever again.

She and I make our way back inside and spend the rest of the day together, watching films on the slide projector in the drawing room and talking about our relationships. Pansy leaves just as Draco's getting home from work, and Draco and I decide to have all his friends over for dinner sometime soon. We go for another of our walks around the grounds before dinner, after which we have a long discussion about my upcoming due date and the changes we'll need to make in the next few weeks.

One of the changes Draco suggests is that I have my friends come over to Malfoy manor to see me instead of going to the Burrow; he says it would make him feel better if he knew I was at home. I personally find a flaw with this plan; Narcissa won't want my friends in her house, nor will Lucius. Though I don't agree with his suggestion at first, Draco says he'll take care of his parents and then makes another valid point; my pregnant woman waddle is very noticeable now, and I can't keep explaining it away forever. Draco points out that the more Harry sees me, the more likely he is to figure things out, and although Draco doesn't care if Harry knows about the baby, I still haven't found a way to break the news to him yet… so I decide that Draco's suggestion will have to work.

I write to Hermione and Ginny before bed, asking them to come over to the manor tomorrow, and then Draco and I head off to bed. My friends, who received my letters late last night, arrive around ten-o-clock in the morning on Tuesday, and I give them a grand tour of the manor. Narcissa sneers slightly when they enter but tries her best to be nice to them for me, which I greatly appreciate. We spend the day talking and laughing, playing wizards' chess and other games we played while we were in school together. We also browse through the dress catalogs together, trying to find the perfect wedding dress and bridesmaid's dresses. Draco comes home that afternoon to find the girls and I sitting on our bed, laughing and joking.

Though I expect him to be angry that I've brought my friends into our bedroom, he simply smiles brightly and asks, "Having fun, girls?" I nod my head in response, but Hermione and Ginny immediately get to their feet, preparing to leave. I hug both girls and then walk them downstairs and see them off, and they promise to return tomorrow. When I close the front door and turn around, I find Draco standing right behind me. He pulls me into a passionate, mind-blowing kiss which I have to pull away from a few moments later when I hear Narcissa's footsteps on the stairs behind us.

He and I walk off into the drawing room and sit on the sofa talking until dinner is ready, and after dinner the Malfoys and I retreat to the drawing room once more, enjoying a quiet night at home by the fire. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday pass in the exact same manner; my friends come to visit me at Malfoy manor and we spend the entire day together.

Saturday is October 2nd, and is the day my wedding attendants and I have chosen to go pick out dresses; Draco has decided to use today to get all his groomsmen together as well, to pick out their tuxedos. Mrs. McGreggor, Narcissa, Hermione, Ginny, Marie and I all meet in Diagon Alley at ten in the morning, and we spend the entire day searching every single store for the perfect dresses. As Marie and I are both still heavily pregnant, Marie a little moreso than myself, we both have to cast disillusionment charms on our bellies to get fitted for our dresses; the both of us will have already given birth by the time Draco's and my wedding rolls around. I decide to leave my belly concealed all day, just in case I happen to run into Harry.

We find the perfect bridesmaid's dress in the fourth shop we've tried today; Marie and I have to sit while the other girls model the dress for us. It's a deep shade of purple with an empire waist line and is knee-length. There are two layers; the first is a soft satin, and beautiful chiffon sits atop the satin. It's a halter top with chiffon straps that meet behind the neck, and a sash sits at the waist with a large diamond directly in the center. All the girls absolutely adore the dress, as do Narcissa and I. All the girls tell the sales witch their sizes, and she immediately produces exact duplicates of the dress for each bridesmaid. Narcissa pays for all the girls' dresses, even though they protest.

Wanting Mrs. McGreggor to stand out as the Matron of Honor, I decide to have her wear a different dress, which we also happen to find in the same shop. The main differences between the two dress styles are that Mrs. McGreggor's dress is a tank-top instead of a halter, and it's slightly longer than all the other girls'. Once Mrs. McGreggor's dress is chosen, Narcissa chooses a lovely purple Mother-of-the-groom piece for herself, and then pays for she and Mrs. McGreggor's dresses as well. All the ladies and I then scurry off to another shop in search of my wedding gown.

We find it nearly two hours later, but we immediately recognize it once we see it and its well worth all the time spent searching. The gown is absolutely gorgeous, everyone gasps without saying a word as we examine it. It's a white, sleeveless halter top dress that flows all the way to the floor. A deep purple band rests above the bust, with white scrolling embroidered on it. The purple band extends out in the back; the middle of the back of the dress is purple instead of white, and the sides of the purple section are also embroidered with the same white scrolling pattern from the front. The entirety of the chapel-length train is purple, and once again has the same white designs on its sides and bottom. Everyone immediately urges me to try it on, and it fits me like a glove… though I realize that's only because my baby bump is hidden.

Not needing to contemplate the situation for long, Narcissa immediately goes to the counter and purchases the dress, though I argue with her that I was going to buy it. Finally finished with the hardest part of our day, my attendants and I decide to stop for a well-deserved lunch break at one of the upscale restaurants in Diagon Alley. We all eat our fill and laugh merrily for an hour and a half, after which Narcissa once again insists on paying for everyone's meals herself. Refueled and rejuvenated, we all head out into Diagon Alley again, this time looking for the perfect shoes to go with the perfect dresses.

The shoe hunting goes much easier; we find them almost immediately. We decide that everyone will wear the exact same pair of shoes; a pair of dark purple, high-heeled sandals. In the same store we also find the perfect jewelry for the occasion… everyone but myself gets a pair of purple, dangling earrings and a necklace to match, all courtesty of Narcissa, of course. I, however, wind up with a triangular-shaped necklace that is completely covered with diamonds, as well as earrings to match.

Having found all the pieces we'll need for the big day, my attendants and I all hug and say goodbye to each other, each of us ready to get home as we're exhausted from a long and frantic day of shopping. Narcissa and I disapparate once everyone else has left Diagon Alley, and she and I arrive home with our arms full of shopping bags to discover that Draco and Lucius have been home for hours awaiting our return. Apparently, it takes women _much _longer to shop for wedding apparel than it does men. Narcissa scurries off to her room to hide my wedding gown from Draco as soon as we get inside; she claims its bad luck for Draco to see the dress until our wedding day. Completely exhausted, I make my way to the drawing room as she does so, joining Draco on his favorite sofa.

He wraps his arms around me and gives me a kiss on the cheek, and we each start telling the other how our day went. When Narcissa makes her way back down to the drawing room a few moments later, she starts a conversation about the wedding day and all the different customs and rituals that will be performed. Though she mentions several rituals, only one sticks out in my mind; it's something I haven't thought of before. On the day a woman gets married, her _father_ is supposed to _give her away_. Knowing that my father is dead, I wonder how this custom can still be honored at Draco's and my wedding.

Able to tell that something's bothering me, Draco asks me what's wrong. "I was just thinking," I say solemnly, "that there's no one to give me away." Draco's face falls and I can tell he wishes he could provide me a solution to this problem, but he doesn't have to.

"Nonsense!" Lucius says, breaking up the silence that has suddenly fallen on the room. "You're _my _daughter… _I'm _giving you away."

I look across the room at Lucius and smile at him in response, my heart ready to explode with happiness at the thought that I _will _have someone to give me away after all, even if it's not my 'real' father. I thank Lucius for his kind offer and consider getting to my feet to hug him, but think better of it when I notice my feet are swollen again. And as soon as Draco notices how swollen my feet are, he refuses to let me walk anywhere for the rest of the night. He carries me to the dinner table a little while later, and after dinner he carries me up to our bedroom and lays me down gently.

I fall asleep almost immediately, completely drained from the day's activities but glad to have them behind me. Draco and I spend a very quiet, relaxing Sunday at home, and on Monday morning he heads off to work once more. I go back to bed after he leaves for work to be awoken a few hours later by Hermione and Ginny, who have just arrived to spend the day with me. I notice that the both of them have very solemn expressions on their faces, and I'm not exactly sure I want to know the answer when I ask them what's wrong.

"Jayde, it's getting harder to keep the truth from Harry. About the baby, I mean," Hermione begins as she and Ginny take a seat at the edge of my bed.

"Well… what do you mean?" I ask worriedly.

"Apparently Harry's heard half the wizard world gossiping about you being pregnant," Ginny replies. "He came back to the Burrow very upset the other day, and it was everything Ron, Hermione and I could do to convince him it's all a load of rubbish. When we came to your baby shower, we told him it was just a simple party, but he's heard other people say it was your baby shower. And the fact that you've stopped coming to the Burrow looks suspicious to him, too."

"Oh, God," I say in an exasperated way. I sit up in my bed and place my hands over my face, wondering what to do now.

"I really think _you _should be the one to tell Harry about this, Jayde," Hermione says. "And if I were you, I'd do it soon." I remove my hands from my face and nod my head in response, agreeing with Hermione's advice.

"I'll try to find a good time to do it, then," I say solemnly. I take a deep breath before continuing. "I just don't want to tell Harry because I know it'll hurt him," I say quietly.

"We know," Ginny and Hermione whisper, both of them placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I can just hear him now," I continue sarcastically, "he'll start going on and on about how I've mated with the spawn of Satan and now I'm carrying his little demon-child."

"That's actually not too far from what he said when he got back to the Burrow the other day," Ginny replies apologetically.

"Well, I can't be mad at him," I reply, "he's not really saying anything ugly about _me, personally_. After all, that's what _everyone _who knows about the baby thinks; Neville, Ron… hell, even you two."

"Um… actually, Jayde," Hermione begins cautiously, "we've been wanting to talk to you about that since the baby shower." Confused, I glance back and forth between my two friends for a moment, waiting for one of them to explain. "You see, Jayde," Hermione finally continues, "it was really hard for Ginny and I to grasp the concept of _Draco Malfoy _loving anyone besides himself. We thought he was up to another of his schemes… even though we saw how different he was acting once the two of you got together, we didn't think he could change _so much_; we thought he was still the same old Malfoy we'd been dealing with all our lives. We… we sort of gave you a hard time about him…"

"It's okay, Hermione," I interrupt, "I understand…"

"No Jayde, let me finish," Hermione replies, cutting me off. "Ginny and I were both shocked the other day at your baby shower… at the way Draco reacted when everyone started fighting and got you all upset. Draco's beliefs are identical to Mrs. Parkinson and Mrs. Goyle's, but he still told them they were wrong… because of _you…_ because that's not what _you _believe. _He was even willing to curse his mother, his grandmother, and the minister's wife for you! _Hermione stops here, and Ginny takes over the conversation.

"When we saw that, Hermione and I were both floored," she says. "We now realize that Draco's _not _the same person he was; not when it comes to you. We actually _saw _how much he loves you the other day! And we gave you such a hard time about him at first when clearly, you were right… Draco's not so horrible after all… at least… not with you."

"So… what are you two saying?" I ask impatiently.

"We're saying that we're sorry, Jayde," Hermione replies, "for being so judgmental of Draco, and trying to get you to date Harry. It's obvious to us now that you and Draco belong together, and we should never have tried to interfere. We had the best intentions; we just wanted both you and Harry to be happy… and now we see that you _are _happy… and we won't ever try to interfere again. And even though Draco is still going to act like an arse towards us and we'll _never _be friends, and we still think he's a prat, we're _happy _for the two of you. Draco's a… _good… _man."

Hermione has to _force _these last words to come out, and her face scrunches up as though she's tasted something terrible. Her expression doesn't faze me though, I'm much too happy at this point to care. I realize how hard it must have been for Hermione to say something good about her sworn enemy, and the fact that she and Ginny actually _apologized _to me for judging Draco speaks volumes to me. Near tears, I rush forward and wrap both girls in a tight group hug. "Th… thank you both, _so _much!" I exclaim. The girls don't answer but continue to hug me for a few moments before releasing me.

"Thank goodness that's settled!" Ginny finally replies, "Now we just need to find someone for Harry to date, so he'll get off your back, too."

"Oh and I'm _sure _you've already got someone in mind," Hermione says sarcastically with an accusatory look. Piecing two and two together, I gasp and look at Ginny in awe.

"You fancy Harry?" I half-state, half-ask. Ginny blushes a violent shade of red and doesn't even bother denying the accusation. "Oh Ginny, that's wonderful! The two of you would be _great _together!" I exclaim.

"There's just one problem," she replies, "he's too stuck up on you to notice me."

"Oh no, not anymore," I reply, "because we're going to find a way to get the two of you together." Ginny gives Hermione and I a hopeful look, and we smile in return. The girls and I spend the entirety of the rest of the day talking and laughing, trying to figure out a way to make Harry notice Ginny.


	22. Chapter 22 The Short Rows

When Draco arrives home from work, I immediately tell him what Hermione and Ginny told me this morning, about how I should go ahead and tell Harry about the baby; I've decided that one way to help him move on is to tell him the truth. Draco refuses, however, to let me apparate anywhere alone in my _condition_, solely for the purpose of keeping the baby and I safe.

I offer to have Hermione and Ginny come over and apparate with me to the Burrow to see Harry, but he insists that, if I do wish to go tell Harry about the baby, that _he_ go with me… just in case Harry gets a little out of hand when he hears the news. I insist to Draco that Harry wouldn't do anything to hurt me, but he says he's not willing to take that chance. Knowing that Draco being there when I tell Harry about the baby will only make matters worse, I decide to put off telling Harry for a little longer, until I'm able to figure something out.

Wednesday is my 33 ½ week maternity check-up, and Draco stays out of work to accompany Narcissa and I to St. Mungo's. I tell Hermione and Ginny not to bother coming over today, since I'll be spending my day with Draco. We arrive for our appointment early but aren't seen until almost two hours later, when Mrs. Taylor comes in seeming more than a bit flustered. She apologizes several times, informing us that she just delivered a baby for one of the couples Draco and I attended parenting class with. This actually frightens me a little bit; it reminds me that my due date is very real and is rapidly approaching.

Though Draco, Narcissa, and I were frustrated about having to wait so long, we completely understand the circumstances and hurry into the examination room, where Mrs. Taylor immediately begins her usual tests once I've lifted my shirt and exposed my baby belly. The tests all give positive results, and Mrs. Taylor says she wants to see me again in two weeks before hurrying out of the room, claiming she's got to get home and get some rest. Draco, Narcissa and I leave St. Mungo's immediately, and I go upstairs for a nap as soon as we return to Malfoy Manor.

It's around two p.m. when I wake up and Draco says he's got a surprise for me, and that I should get dressed as though I were going to a dinner party. Curious but excited about his surprise, I don the dress he bought me for Ms. Fitzpatrick's funeral and start fixing my hair and makeup right away. He and I finally make our way downstairs around three p.m., and I'm delighted to find that Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle are here, along with two young girls I don't recognize. Everyone greets us fondly, and I can't help but notice that the two newcomers are staring at me as though I'm made of gold or some other precious metal.

Hugs and handshakes are exchanged, and Crabbe and Goyle introduce everyone to the two new girls, Mary and Martha; their girlfriends. Shocked to learn that the boys actually _have _girlfriends, I nod my head politely in acknowledgement towards the two girls. I can't help but think that the boys must have hooked up with these two quite recently; otherwise I'm sure they'd have asked if the girls could come to my baby shower. Once everyone's been introduced, Draco and I walk over to our normal sofa and take a seat. Draco wraps his arm around me and I lean against him; we're clearly the most comfortable of the four couples in the room. Draco kisses me on the cheek and tells me that he's arranged for all of us to have dinner together, as a special surprise for me. I thank him with a quick but passionate kiss on the lips, and when I release him from the kiss I'm quite disturbed to find that the two new girls are staring at us and giggling.

I find this more than a bit annoying and give Draco a meaningful look, but he simply shrugs his shoulders to indicate that he has _no idea _what the girls are laughing about. Everyone talks and laughs heartily while we wait for dinner to be prepared, and then we all make our way into the dining room. Mary and Martha _somehow _end up sitting in the two closest chairs to my left, while Draco sits to my right. They continue giggling all throughout dinner; mostly at inappropriate times. It gets more than a bit annoying after a while, and I keep glancing over at Pansy to see if she's just as perturbed as I am. Her face is constantly turned into a scowl and her eyes are always directed at the two girls, indicating that she's probably less fond of them than I am. Don't get me wrong, they're sweet girls, they're just a bit… ditsy.

When dinner is finished, we all retreat to the drawing room once more, where we all find a comfortable spot and watch a romantic comedy on the film projector. Not surprisingly, Mary and Martha practically ruin the entire movie with their giggling, until Pansy steps in, that is. About three-fourths of the way through the movie, she yells, "Would you two stop laughing? They're just kissing!" Mary and Martha seem a bit taken aback at first but when I cast a glance their way in the dim light provided by the film projector, they quickly nod their heads and slip into silence. The rest of the movie is finished in complete silence, and afterwards all our guests stand and start saying their goodbyes for the night. Mary and Martha act very strange when I shake their hand and thank them for coming, and as they walk out the door with Crabbe and Goyle they turn back to look at Draco and I several times. Blaise and Pansy, who haven't left just yet, give the girls odd looks as they continue to stare on their way out the door.

Once the door is closed behind them, Pansy bursts into a hissy fit. "What the hell was their problem?" she asks in a loud whisper, so as not to be overheard. I laugh heartily at this outburst, but Draco and Blaise seem a bit confused.

"What are you two on about?" Blaise asks with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Those girls!" I reply. "They kept staring at me and laughing all night long! Surely you noticed!"

"Oh, that," Blaise replies. "I think it's got something to do with their age… they seemed a bit _young _to me."

"Why is this the first we've heard of them?" I ask, looking to Draco for an answer.

"Honestly, I think Crabbe and Goyle might have just picked two random girls to come to dinner with them, just so they wouldn't feel left out" he replies, "they knew you'd be here with me and Pansy would be here with Blaise."

"Oh good, so we won't ever have to see them again, right?" Pansy asks in a very serious tone.

"Who knows?" Draco asks with a smirk.

"So what were they laughing about then? The fact that I'm pregnant?" I ask.

"No dear, I actually think they were acting so strangely because they've never been around any of the 'upper class', if you get my meaning," Draco replies.

"Ohh…" Pansy and I both say at the same time.

"That explains a lot," Pansy continues. Shortly after this conversation ends, and Draco and I bid goodbye to Blaise and Pansy and then head upstairs to bed. When we get to our room and snuggle up under the covers, Draco asks how my night was.

"Well, other than those two girls, it was okay," I reply. "They just really freaked me out."

"It's nothing to worry about, dear," Draco says. "Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise always sort of followed me around in school… kind of like lost puppies. They did everything I did, went everywhere I went… very unoriginal. Blaise wasn't as bad about it as the other two, but still. It's only natural they'd tell their girlfriends to follow you around. I guess you could say I'm like the leader of their pack… which makes you the queen bee to the girls."

"Well they need to find someone else to follow around… I don't have time to be a 'queen bee'; I'm about to be a mother," I say with a yawn.

"That only makes them even more envious of you," Draco replies.

"Being pregnant is _nothing _to be envious of," I say quietly. "And from the way Mrs. Taylor described it today, giving birth won't be so swell either."

"You're getting worried about the big day, aren't you love?" Draco asks thoughtfully.

"Well… yes," I reply. Draco pulls me closer to him and I rest my head on his chest.

"You have _nothing _to worry about," he says sweetly, "everything's going to be _fine._ And I'll be right there with you, the whole time."

"What if you're not here when it happens?" I ask. "What if you're at work?"

"Then you'll send one of the maids to find me, and I'll meet you at the hospital," he replies as he runs his fingers through my hair.

"But what if…" I begin worriedly, but Draco cuts me off.

"Shh," he says quietly, "no more worrying about it tonight. Get some sleep, love."

"Okay," I reply, yawning once more as I nod my head in agreement. I close my eyes and drift off to sleep, into a dozen nightmares about the agonizing process of giving birth… I even have one dream in which I died during childbirth. When I wake in the morning I tell Draco about the dreams, and he comforts me and tells me everything will be okay. Though his words do make me feel a little better, I decide to stay awake once he's left for work; mostly because I'm afraid if I go back to sleep I'll have another nightmare.

Hermione and Ginny arrive a while later, and the three of us decide to spend the day in Diagon Alley, just to get out of the house. We peruse the many shops, having a wonderful time. We stop at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor for a before-lunch treat, after which we decide to go to the Burrow for a while. When I communicate our plan to Draco via our "love bond", Draco doesn't like the idea at first, but I tell him I'm sure I'll be fine and able to disguise my pregnant woman waddle for a little while in case Harry shows up. I also tell him that I really want to see Mrs. Weasley, and he agrees.

When we arrive Mrs. Weasley is thrilled to see me and she embraces me warmly. She insists that I stay for lunch and then busies herself in the kitchen, preparing an extra place at the table. Once lunch is served, Hermione, Ginny and I make our way to the table to find that Harry and Ron are already seated, and they both pull me into welcoming hugs when they see me. We all talk and laugh heartily over lunch, after which we all go outside to enjoy the warm weather. Harry, Ron and Ginny decide to play a quick, two-on-one game of Quidditch, and Hermione sits on the garden wall watching with me since she doesn't like flying. We cheer our friends on, both of us pulling for both teams at separate times. After Harry makes one particularly good play against his opponents, I feel a sharp cramp in my stomach.

"OH!" I say loudly, bending over double and placing my hands on my lower abdomen. Immediately concerned, Hermione asks me what's wrong. Out of breath, I don't answer her, and she quickly runs inside to get Mrs. Weasley. Terrified that I might be going into labor early, right here on the garden wall at the Burrow, I slide myself down and begin to make my way towards the kitchen door. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione meet me before I can reach the door, and Mrs. Weasley asks me to tell her what's wrong. When I describe the cramp she tells me to come inside and lay down.

Thinking that one of my nightmares is about to come true, I start crying violently. Mrs. Weasley tells me to calm down and says that she's sure I'm not going into labor, and when I ask her how she knows she says that I wouldn't be able to walk through the cramps if they were labor pains. When I start to ask her if she's sure, I remember that she's given birth _nine times_, and I quickly reconsider asking such a stupid question. The fact that she's sure I'm not in labor does little to comfort me, however, mostly because of the wild dreams I had about it last night. When another cramp pierces my abdomen a few moments later, panic overtakes me once more. Now almost positive that I've gone into labor despite Mrs. Weasley's repeated insistence that I'm not, I realize I've got to let Draco know what's going on.

I summon every bit of strength I have and direct my thoughts to him once more. "Draco… I think I've gone into labor," I say wildly. Though I didn't actually 'speak' to Draco, I'm sure the panic I'm feeling is evident in my thoughts. I get no response from Draco, but I don't have time to worry about it because Mrs. Weasley returns from the kitchen with a glass of water and makes me drink it right away. Hermione holds my hand the whole while, and when I finish the water I'm actually feeling a little better… until I hear loud noises and shouting outside. Temporarily distracted, Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and I all gaze towards the living room doorway, and Ron comes bursting through it a moment later, looking quite disheveled.

"Could someone please tell me what the bloody hell Draco's doing here?" he asks breathlessly. Then, seeing me laying on the couch with my hand on my stomach, he realizes what's going on. "Merlin's beard!" he exclaims, running from the room and out the kitchen door, letting it close with a loud _bang._ Listening closely to hear what's going on, I hear Ron shouting above all the continued yells. "NO, HARRY, STOP!" he pleads. "JAYDE'S ILL… HE'S JUST HERE TO TAKE HER HOME!"

"Oh God!" I exclaim, "Harry's going to kill him!" I try to push myself up off the couch, but Hermione and Mrs. Weasley will have none of it.

"You two stay here," Molly says angrily, "I'll go settle this."

"Oh boy," Hermione sighs once Molly has left the room, "this won't be good."

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY!" we hear Molly roar once she's reached the garden. "YOU TWO STOP THAT FIGHTING THIS INSTANT!" Immediately, all noise but the sound of Mrs. Weasley's voice ceases. "Draco, you get in there and tend to Jayde! And Harry, you stay right here! Do I make myself clear?" she continues. I don't hear anyone respond to her command, but a few seconds later I hear the kitchen door open, and then Draco's form appears in the living room doorway.

There's a small cut above Draco's eye, but he rushes forward to my side, completely ignoring the blood running down his face. "What happened to you?" I ask worriedly.

"Nothing!" he says quickly, "We need to get you to the hospital." At this, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny come running into the room, and Mrs. Weasley speaks to Draco.

"Draco, she's not in labor," Molly begins. "She's just had a few false contractions and they've got her a bit frightened, is all." Draco looks up at Mrs. Weasley and asks if she's sure, and Molly places her hands on her hips and gives Draco a disproving look, as if to say, "Trust me… I know".

"Right… sorry," Draco replies before turning back to me. He leans down and scoops me up into his arms, and then stands upright again. "Thank you all for your help," he says quickly, hurrying across the living room and through the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley hurries alongside him and opens the kitchen door, allowing him to keep holding me as he walks through it. When we get outside I hear Harry shouting off in the distance and look over at the garden wall to see that Ron is the only thing keeping Harry from attacking Draco again. Though the cut on Draco's forehead looks rough, it's nothing compared to the bloody nose Draco gave Harry; just looking at it makes my stomach churn and I have to look away.

Draco immediately disapparates once we've gotten far enough away from the Burrow, and when we land outside the gates to Malfoy Manor he mutters the password and begins hurrying towards the house. Once inside, he sets me down on the sofa in the drawing room and asks if I'm alright. I tell him yes but then immediately feel another cramp and grab onto my stomach once more. Draco pulls me into a tight hug and tries to sooth me the best he can. Once the cramp has ended and my breathing has returned to normal, Draco releases me and walks away, across the drawing room. With his back to me, he places his hands on the top of his head in frustration. "Draco, what's wrong?" I ask quietly.

When Draco turns around to answer my question I see tears streaming from his eyes and mixing with the blood on his face, but he actually looks a bit angry as well. He slams his fist against a nearby wall, causing a large hole to form in it. "Damn Harry Potter!" he says angrily. I gasp in shock at Draco's sudden display of anger, and when he hears this he comes rushing to my side. "Baby, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" he says pleadingly. His face softens as he gets to his knees beside the sofa and places a comforting hand on my knee. "Darling, I'm not mad at _you_," he says much more calmly. "It's just, Potter's always trying to stand in my way. I swear to Merlin, if he'd kept me from getting to you in time, I'd have _killed_ him."

"Draco don't say that!" I implore with another gasp.

"I'm sorry, dear, but it's the truth," he replies with a serious look in his eyes. "_No one _will try to keep me from you and get away with it," he continues. "You two… you and the baby, I mean," he says, nodding his head towards my stomach, "are the two most important people in the world to me. There's nothing I wouldn't do for either of you. It's my job to protect you, and I'll do whatever it takes… no matter what the cost."

Though Draco's words are a bit frightening, they're also very sweet… but I won't let him know that I think so; if I did he'd get the impression that I think it's okay to threaten someone's life, which I don't. Draco leans forward and pulls me into his warm embrace, and I sigh heavily against his neck, thankful that the situation is over. Draco sighs as well, and then whispers in my ear. "I swear to Merlin, Jayde," he says playfully with a slight chuckle, "you almost gave me a heart attack." I make to apologize again, but Draco cuts me off. "Don't apologize; it's not your fault. You were concerned and you were right to call me. But one thing's for sure: I'm never letting you leave this house again… not without me, anyway." I can't help but start laughing at Draco's statement.

"If I wasn't sure you were joking about that," I say playfully, "I'd be very upset at you right now."


	23. Chapter 23 Anticipation

It takes quite a while for me to calm Draco down from all the nervousness caused by my recent false-labor scare. He refuses to go back to work, and instead sends an owl to the Minister of Magic, explaining his absence. Though all his recent absences make me worry that he's in danger of losing his job, Draco ensures me that ever since my baby shower the Minister's practically been eating out of his palm just like he does Lucius' and that there's nothing to worry about.

I clean the blood off Draco's face and use my wand to heal the cut above his eye, and Draco and I spend the rest of the day indoors, playing wizard's chess and gobstones to pass the time. When we've gotten bored of both activities, we start re-reading the pamphlets Mrs. Taylor gave us about the rapidly approaching "Big Day" and how to prepare for it. Though I hate doing the breathing exercises because I think I look stupid when I'm doing them, Draco insists that we should work on those as well, so we spend another little while doing so. Narcissa arrives home shortly afterwards, having been gone all day, and Lucius returns from work about twenty minutes after his wife arrives.

Having heard from the Minister that Draco left work early today, Lucius once again questions Draco about why he did so during dinner, and he and Narcissa both become very concerned when they hear about what happened. They both suggest that perhaps I shouldn't leave the house without one of them anymore, causing me to become extremely distraught. "Jayde, it's just not practical anymore," Narcissa explains. "You can still have your friends come here, though." The conversation ends on that note, with a silent agreement that I won't leave the house without Draco, Lucius, or Narcissa with me any more until after the baby is born.

Though they haven't, and _can't, _forbid me to leave the house, I feel as though a rule's been set down for me to follow; a rule I don't like very much. I realize I'm probably being a bit immature about the whole situation, but that's only because I don't want to be stuck in the house _every single day. _Draco can tell that this "rule" has upset me very much, and he tries to reassure me the rest of the evening.

"It's just for your safety, love," he says quietly as we're lying in bed that night. "Just until the baby gets here." Though I'm not angry at _Draco, _I roll my eyes and sigh heavily.

"Yeah, I _only _have to stay cooped up in this house with _nothing _to do and _nobody _to talk to _every day_ for the next _six weeks!" _I reply very sarcastically without looking at him.

"Baby, I'm sorry," Draco immediately responds, placing his hand on my chin gently and turning my face towards his. "I don't like the thought of you being stuck here all the time any more than you do, I can assure you," he continues, looking me directly in the eyes. "But I dislike the thought of you going into labor somewhere I can't reach you _even less_. I _know _you need a break from this house; you're going through _so much _all ready _without _being forced to stay here, and I feel horrible about it. You're doing it all; you're growing _my child _as we speak, and I can't do _anything _to help you… I feel _completely_ worthless_. _But since I _can't _help you with the actual pregnancy, I'm going to do _everything else in my power _to take care of you and the baby… and that _includes _providing for and protecting the both of you._ I'm _not the one who made up that silly 'rule', but honestly, I think it's for the best."

I start to feel more and more horrible for being so difficult with each passing second as Draco speaks, and by the time he's finished, I'm in tears. "There, there, darling," he says sweetly, wiping the tears away from my eyes, "it's all right."

"I'm sorry!" I sob, flinging myself towards him and burying my head against his chest. Draco wraps his arms all the way around me in response and soothes me as I continue to cry. "I'm a horrible mother," I sob into the bare skin of his chest.

"No, you're not, and I don't _ever _want to hear you say that again," Draco replies, kissing the top of my head softly. "It's just the hormones," he continues as he slowly begins to rock me back and forth gently trying to soothe me. "Mrs. Taylor told you they'd get worse." I continue to sob for a few moments, and Draco tries to think of other ways to calm me. "I'll tell you what," he finally says, "I'll go downstairs and get you a pickle. Would that make you feel better, love?"

Now that he mentions it, a pickle sounds _really _good right now. I stop crying and lean back, looking up at him. "With ketchup?" I ask, sounding like a child and sniffling the whole while.

"Yes, dear, with ketchup," Draco replies sweetly as he wipes the last of the tears from my cheeks. "Would you like that?"

"Mhmm," I reply, nodding my head slightly. Draco smiles from ear to ear, chuckles and shakes his head slightly at this, and I immediately give him a questioning look, wondering why he's shaking his head. Automatically knowing which question I have, Draco answers.

"I swear to Merlin, Jayde," he says happily, "you're _so_ cute. Sometimes just _how_ cute you are still surprises me."

I blush slightly and smile, and my heart gives an involuntary leap at the thought that Draco thinks I'm cute. Slowly and carefully, Draco eases himself away from me and out of bed, and he doesn't even bother with putting a shirt on before leaving our room and walking downstairs. He returns a few minutes later, plate in hand, and laughs as he walks towards our bed. I quickly sit up and ask him what's so funny as he hands me the pickle.

"My father laughed at me when he saw me coming out of the kitchen with the pickle," he says playfully. "He said 'I remember those days well'."

I giggle at Draco's imitation of his father's voice and then quickly delve into the pickle and ketchup. Draco has a seat on the bed beside me as I eat, and once I've finished he banishes the plate with his wand and walks around to his side of the bed. I lie back down and turn on my side to face him as he gets in bed, and snuggle up close to him once more. Draco performs his nightly ritual, giving me a kiss on the forehead, one on the cheek, and quietly saying, "Goodnight, beautiful… I love you."

"I love you, too," I reply as Draco wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, "and thank you."

"For what?" he asks.

"For the pickle," I reply simply. "And for not being angry at me when I was being so ridiculous. You're _so _good to me."

"I hope so," he replies, "I want to be." I smile slightly and close my eyes, and without another word, Draco and I drift off to sleep.

When we wake the next morning, I accompany him downstairs and we eat breakfast together before Draco has to leave for work. As he prepares to leave, Draco asks me what I'm going to do with myself today. "I don't really know," I reply truthfully. He looks at me apologetically, almost _guiltily_, and kisses me tenderly.

"I'm sorry dear," he says when he's finished. "Try to have a good day."

"I will," I reply with a smile, hoping to reassure him. With another quick kiss, Draco tells me he loves me and that he'll see me this afternoon. "I love you, too," I reply, and I watch as Draco turns and walks out the front door. I immediately turn and walk upstairs once the door closes behind him, and I curl up under the covers in our bed.

Though I'm no longer _angry _about not being able to leave the house, I still can't help but think that this situation _stinks. _And thinking this way causes me to think back to what got this whole situation started; the fight between Draco and Harry yesterday. Knowing Harry the way I do, I honestly believe that if he'd _known _I thought I was going into labor, he wouldn't have attacked Draco when he arrived at the Burrow, even though the two of them are sworn enemies. All of this drama leads back to one problem; the fact that Harry doesn't know about the baby. _None of this would have happened if I'd just had the guts to tell Harry the truth_, I tell myself.

I immediately wish I could go back in time and change everything, but I realize I can't. _So the next best thing, _I tell myself, _is to change it now; to tell Harry the truth. _There's just one flaw with this plan, though; Draco doesn't want me telling Harry without him being there, for fear Harry will react in a way that will upset me. I try to think of a solution to this problem, and can only come up with one; Draco won't _have _to be face-to-face with Harry _if I'm not. _Though I seriously _want _to tell Harry in person, I realize that the only way I can tell him now _and alone_ is to _write _to him.

Determined that this is the best approach I can take to the situation, I climb out of bed and hunt down a quill and some parchment. Once I've done so, I sit at my desk for several moments, trying to think of the right words to say to break this news to Harry delicately. _After all, it's bad enough I've got to tell him in a letter_, I think to myself. I realize, with great disappointment, however, that there _are _no perfect words to tell Harry what I've got to say, and that's exactly how I begin my letter. I lean over the desk and start writing furiously, putting all my thoughts and emotions in the letter. I write for nearly two hours, occasionally bawling up the piece of parchment I've been writing on and starting over. When I've finally written what I believe to be the most heart-felt and apologetic letter possible, I sit back in my seat and re-read what I've written for about the one-hundredth time.

_Dear Harry, _the letter says, _I'm sorry that you have to hear this from me in a letter, but the time has come for the truth to be told. And I can't tell you in person because, after the fight you had with Draco yesterday, Lucius and Narcissa have asked that I not leave Malfoy Manor unaccompanied anymore… to ensure my safety and to prevent something like that from happening again. I'm afraid there's no easy way to tell you what I have to say, so I might as well get straight to the point. I'm sure by now you've heard some of the rumors going around that Draco and I are having a baby. Those rumors are completely true; I'm thirty-four weeks pregnant with Draco's child. As I'm sure you've all ready deduced, I've been using a concealment charm to hide my pregnancy. I was pregnant while we were still at Hogwarts, and the Malfoys thought that if everyone knew about my pregnancy, they'd tease me and give me lots of unnecessary grief that'd cause me even more stress. As soon as we got out of school, I should have come to you; but I kept hiding it anyway. I wasn't doing it to try to trick you or anything, I just didn't want to upset you because you're my friend and I care about you. And because you're my friend and I care about you, I want you to move on. I know that you had hopes that you and I would be together, but it could never have worked between us, because I love Draco. I realize that you're probably quite upset with me right now, and I don't blame you. If you never wish to speak to me again, I completely understand. You can rip this letter to shreds and burn it if you like. Just know that, for what it's worth, I'm truly sorry for hiding my pregnancy from you. I hope you can forgive me, and that we can still be friends. Sincerely, Jayde. _

Though the letter, in my opinion, is nowhere near perfect, I decide that this is the most acceptable draft I'll probably be able to come up with. After all, I'm sure I could write all day and still not come up with the 'perfect' letter to break the news to Harry. So, dissatisfied but determined, I fold the letter and quickly stuff it in an envelope, addressing it simply to 'Harry'. I seal the envelope quickly, so I don't change my mind, and leave mine and Draco's room, heading straight for the family's owlery. As I'm trying to pick which owl to use, a thought suddenly occurs to me; _Draco would probably like to know about my plan before I execute it. _Though I'm not entirely sure that Draco will be very fond of this plan, I decide that he needs to know and close my eyes and direct my thoughts to him.

"Draco?" I begin.

"Yes, love?" he responds.

"I'm… I'm going to send Harry a letter. I think it's high time he knew about the baby," I reply. Draco remains silent for a moment, which I sure isn't a good thing.

"Darling, I'm not sure that's a good idea," he says hesitantly.

"Why not?" I ask. "You said you didn't want me to tell him in person because you thought he'd say something that would upset me. This eliminates that problem."

"But it _creates _another," Draco explains. "Now there's the chance that he'd write you back and say something horrible in a _letter_; something you could read _over _and _over _again."

"I seriously doubt he writes me back," I reply with a heavy sigh. "He's going to be very angry at me; he may never speak to me again."

"And knowing you the way I _do_," Draco replies, "you'll be just as upset if he _doesn't _write back as you would be if he wrote back and said something terrible. You'll be walking 'round the house worried _all day._"

Though I can't argue with Draco's reasoning, I _refuse _to give in. "Draco, Harry's my _friend_," I begin. "He _deserves_ to know the truth! The two of you wouldn't have fought yesterday if he'd _known _why you had to come to the Burrow."

"_Yes_, we would have," Draco replies. "Darling, that fight _wasn't _your fault. There's _always _been a rivalry between Potter and me, and for some reason he's chosen to _extend _that rivalry to _you. _He thinks this is some sort of… _competition_, to see who can win your affections. _That's _why my arrival upset him yesterday; because it made him feel like I was taking you from him all over again."

"Well if you _knew_ that, why did you _fight_ him?" I ask, puzzled.

"Because when someone starts swinging at me, you can _bet _I'm going to swing back," he replies. I chuckle to myself at Draco's response, and he continues. "Also, it _might_ have _something_ to do with the fact that it _pisses me off _that he keeps trying to take you from me _all the time_," he says semi-angrily.

I can't help it; I laugh aloud at this statement. "You _know _you don't have to worry about that, love," I say sweetly.

"I know," Draco replies with a sigh.

Taking a deep breath in, I continue. "I just don't understand how things have gotten so horrible between the two of you again," I say quietly, "you got along pretty well at Hogwarts."

"Only for your sake… because you made us _promise _to," Draco replies.

"I know," I reply. "But what changed that?"

"That changed when… when you left," Draco replies solemnly, suddenly sounding very sad. I have to admit that being reminded about the time when I left Draco saddens me as well.

"I don't understand," I say in a small voice.

"Darling, there are some things about men, like Potter, that you _can't_ understand. Potter started getting used to the idea of us being together at Hogwarts. But then, when you left, he thought he'd been given a second chance; that the two of you could finally be together. Hell, he even approached you about it. When you came home, he felt like he'd lost you _again_, even though you were _never _his. And he's not mad at _you_ about it; he's mad at _me. _He thinks I've tricked you into being with me somehow, and that I mistreat you. You sending him that letter would only make him think I got you pregnant on purpose so you'd be stuck with me. And I'm sure he'd be very outspoken about his opinion, too, if he wrote you back."

"Well, it doesn't matter what he thinks, because we know the _truth_," I say determinedly. "And I know you're just trying to think of what's best for me, and I appreciate it… but I've made up my mind. This is something I _have _to do, love. I hope you won't be angry with me."

"Of course not, darling," Draco says quietly. "If you're _sure _this is what you want to do, then I'm behind you one-hundred percent."

"Thank you, love," I reply gratefully.

"Not at all, darling," Draco replies, "although I should warn you; I might end up in Azkaban if he says something ugly to you in a letter." I shake my head in response.

"You'll do _no such_ _thing," _I say firmly, but playfully.

"Ah, you're probably right," he replies. "I'd never make it in prison… I couldn't stand to be away from you that long."

"Aww, that's _so sweet!"_ I say happily, "But you should _probably _get back to work now, dear."

"Right you are, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco replies, causing me to chuckle. "I'll see you this evening," he replies.

"All right," I answer, and with that, our conversation ends. I immediately open my eyes and pick out one of the family owls to use, and he hoots happily when I hand him the letter before spreading his wings and flying out of the open owlery window. Feeling slightly apprehensive, I walk over to the window and watch as the owl flies off into the distance. As he slowly disappears, I can't help but wonder how Harry will take the news. I hope that he'll take it well, but I have a sinking feeling somewhere deep down that that won't be the case.


	24. Chapter 24 Shopping Spree

A few hours later, Hermione and Ginny arrive to spend the day with me, walking into the drawing room to find me as soon as they enter. As soon as I see them, I ask them how Harry's doing. "He's fine," Ginny replies, "Mum fixed his nose straight away." Though I'm relieved that Harry's nose is better, _that _wasn't what I was referring to.

"No, I mean, how'd he take the news?" I clarify.

"What news?" Hermione asks, clearly puzzled.

"I wrote Harry a letter this morning," I reply. "I told him about the baby. Did he say anything to either of you about it?"

"No, Jayde," Hermione replies. "Harry and Ron both left early this morning to go help Fred and George at the joke shop. They _still _haven't returned."

"Oh no!" I reply, horrified, covering my mouth with my hands. "You mean Harry had to read that letter in the middle of Fred and George's joke shop?"

"Oh! _You're_ who the letter was from!" Ginny exclaims. Hermione and I both furrow our eyebrows at her in confusion, clearly needing an explanation. "No, Harry hasn't read the letter yet," Ginny says, easing my fears slightly. "Just seconds after Harry and Ron left this morning, your owl arrived. It must have gotten confused by Harry leaving so suddenly; it acted like it wanted to fly away for a moment, but I stopped it. When I saw that the letter was addressed to Harry, I took it up to Ron's room and laid it on his bed."

"Oh," I reply. "So Harry won't read the letter until he gets back to the Burrow this evening," I half-state, half-ask.

"Yes," Ginny replies with a smile.

I'm not sure if this news makes me feel better or worse. I'm glad that Harry isn't upset with me _yet_, but I honestly wish he'd all ready read the letter, just so the uncomfortable waiting would be over and the truth would be out. "So what made you decide to write to Harry?" Hermione asks curiously.

"What happened yesterday," I explain.

"Jayde, that fight _wasn't _your fault," Ginny says reassuringly.

"Draco said the same thing," I reply, "but I still can't help but feel that it _was. _I just think… if Harry had known about the baby, he wouldn't have tried to stop Draco from getting to me; he'd have understood."

Both of my friends grow quiet at this statement; they obviously don't know what else they can say to reassure me. Ready for this conversation to be over with, I suggest that the three of us go outside for a walk on the manor grounds. The three of us spend the rest of the day outside… just so I won't have to be cooped up within the walls of Malfoy Manor all day.

Since it's now early in the fall, October 8th to be exact, it's too cold for us to go for a swim, so we spend our time either walking or sitting by one of the fountains, talking. We only go back inside once; for lunch. Though Hermione and Ginny understand why I'm upset about the unspoken "no leaving the grounds" rule, they also agree with Lucius and Narcissa that it's for the best. They leave as soon as Draco gets home from work in the afternoon, promising to come back on Monday and spend the day with me then as well.

Draco seems apprehensive when he asks how my day was, but I smile and assure him that it was fine and that Hermione and Ginny didn't allow me to be bored for too long. "What about Potter?" Draco asks. "Has he written you back?"

"No," I reply, "he hasn't read the letter yet."

"Oh," Draco replies simply, seeming relieved. The conversation ends on this note, and Draco and I go to bed immediately after dinner. He and I go out to Diagon Alley on Saturday, just to get out of the house for a while, and we spend a relaxing Sunday at home together. Secretly, though, every time I hear the hooting of an owl, I glance around anxiously, wondering if it could be delivering Harry's response letter.

Draco seems a bit on edge about it as well, but he tries his best not to worry about it, and to help me keep my mind off it. He seems much more relaxed when he leaves for work on Monday morning, clearly less concerned for my safety now that he _knows _I'll be at the manor all day. I, however, start to grow anxious as soon as he leaves. I know Harry's read my letter by now, and I wonder how he's reacting.

Just as Draco said it would, the fact that Harry hasn't written back worries me. Without Draco there, I begin to stress out about it, and by the time Hermione and Ginny arrive I'm pacing back and forth in my room impatiently. "How's Harry?" I ask before even greeting them.

"He seems fine," Hermione replies. "He hasn't said anything to us about the letter, and he's not… _moping _or anything."

Thoroughly shocked, but pleased, the only response I can come up with is, "Oh. Well if he's fine with it, why hasn't he written me back?"

"Maybe he's in denial about it," Ginny suggests. "Give him some time… I'm sure he'll come around."

"Ginny's right, Jayde," Hermione says. "Don't stress yourself out worrying about Harry; he'll be fine."

"I'm not stressing," I reply with a shake of my head. My friends both give me a knowing look, but say nothing. We once again spend the entire day out in the grounds, and my friends leave shortly after Draco gets home.

As soon as he arrives, Draco once again questions whether or not Harry has responded to my letter, and when I tell him 'no' he seems somewhat pleased. The two of us go to bed fairly early that night, and when Draco leaves for work the next morning, I once again start to stress out, wondering if Harry will write back to me today. I quickly decide, however, that Hermione and Ginny are right; Harry probably needs some time to process the information… he'll write back when he's ready.

Hermione and Ginny have assured me that Harry's okay, and that's the most important thing. And in the mean time, while I wait for his response, I decide I should just try to forget all about it and make sure I don't get too upset. _After all, I've got a child to think of_, I tell myself. So, with some difficulty, I push all thought of Harry and the letter from my mind, and don't bother to ask Hermione and Ginny about him when I see them the next day.

This strategy proves to be _much _less nerve-wracking than my previous one. I continue the next few days in this fashion, and on October 20th, a week and a half after I sent Harry the letter, he _still _hasn't responded. Honestly, though, I've all but forgotten about the letter. It's a Wednesday, and Draco, Narcissa, and I go to St. Mungo's for my 35 ½ week checkup. Mrs. Taylor lays down the law at this checkup, putting a seal of finality on Lucius and Narcissa's 'no leaving the grounds' rule. She informs me that from now on, I'll have checkups _every _week, and that even though it's not _quite _time for the baby to come yet, it could happen any day now. She says that I should remain at home and off my feet as much as possible, and try to get plenty of rest; and this time, that's an order.

So now, at a whopping 36 weeks pregnant, I feel trapped. Though I am _extremely _nervous about the upcoming big day, I'm actually beginning to get _tired _of being pregnant… as horrible as I know that sounds. I don't mention this to Draco because I'm sure it would upset him for me to say such a thing, I simply say several times a week, "I am _so _ready for the baby to be here."

Though Draco doesn't understand my full meaning, Narcissa does; she comes up to Draco's and my bedroom on Monday morning after he's left for work. When she says she'd like to talk, I curiously ask her what she means. "I just wanted to see how you're doing, dear," she says kindly. "After all, your due date is only a few weeks away, and I'm sure you're very nervous about it."

"Well, I am," I reply, "but I'm also ready for it to be over with."

"I completely understand," Narcissa replies, "pregnancy is very physically and emotionally draining, and 40 weeks is a long time to be going through so much, especially being so young." Looking into Narcissa's eyes and _knowing _that she understands the way I feel, I burst into tears and pull her into a hug. "There, there, dear," she says soothingly, "let it out."

"I'm so _tired_; all the time!" I sob. "And I feel so _huge_, and my feet will barely fit into my shoes anymore! My back hurts, and I'm tired of waddling around all the time! I just want my body back; I want to be able to do what I want! But I feel like it makes me a _horrible mother _to think and say those things!"

"No, no it doesn't," she replies quietly, "it makes you _human. _I went through the _exact _same things; I had the _exact _same feelings! And remember, you're going through this at a much younger age than most women do; you're not as emotionally ready for such big changes. And it doesn't help being stuck here all day long; I know it makes you feel like an invalid. But I _promise _you, once that baby gets here, and you hold it in your arms and look into its eyes, it'll all be worth it."

"I know," I reply, nodding my head in agreement.

"I'll tell you what," Narcissa replies, "I know what will make you feel better. You and I, and your friends if they'd like, will go to Diagon Alley today. We'll spend all day out shopping and chatting; we'll have a 'Girl's Day Out'. How does that sound?"

"R… really?" I ask through tears as I lean out of Narcissa's hug to look into her eyes.

"Of course!" she says happily, "Now get out of those pajamas and get dressed! You need to shower and have breakfast so we're ready to leave when your friends get here!"

Having accomplished what she came in here to do, which was obviously to cheer me up, Narcissa leaves the room immediately, allowing me to start getting ready. Now moving much more slowly, it takes me a little longer than usual to get my shower and get dressed. There's a knock on my door as I'm preparing to don my makeup and jewelry, and Hermione and Ginny enter once I call out "Come in!" Having already been filled in on the day's activities by Narcissa, the girls are smiling from ear to ear; they know how excited and happy I am to be getting out of the house.

They make themselves useful immediately, taking over the task of applying my makeup and styling my hair. I sit back and relax as I watch them do so, feeling very pampered and grateful to have such wonderful friends. Once I'm completely ready, the three of us walk downstairs to the kitchen, where Narcissa has breakfast waiting for me. Having already eaten at the Burrow, Hermione and Ginny simply watch as Narcissa and I eat, talking to us occasionally. We all leave for Diagon Alley a short while later, and as Narcissa promised, we spend the _entire _day there. We have to take several breaks, however, to accommodate my aching back and feet.

Though we can't get much done _because _of these frequent breaks, the fact that I'm simply not stuck inside Malfoy Manor is a huge relief; I have a _wonderful _time, as do Narcissa and my friends, though they don't speak to each other much… the fact that they're all with me does nothing to change the fact that they're on opposing sides of the 'mudblood-pureblood' dispute. Realizing that we should probably be home when Draco and Lucius return from work, Narcissa and I decide we should leave Diagon Alley around four-thirty in the afternoon. We bid goodbye to Hermione and Ginny, who promise to come and see me at the Manor again tomorrow, and disapparate. We pass through the iron gates and walk up to the house, flopping down on the couches in the Drawing Room once we get inside.

I immediately remove my shoes and seriously consider burning them for the pain they've caused my feet today. Narcissa and I sit in silence for a while trying to recuperate from the day's activities, and Draco and Lucius arrive a short while later to find us in the exact positions we fell in. "Well it certainly looks like you two had fun today," Lucius says with a smirk as he enters the Drawing Room; Narcissa and I giggle in response.

"Perhaps a little _too much _fun," Draco says quietly as he comes to stand beside the sofa I've flopped down on. "Darling, you look exhausted," he continues.

"I _am_," I concede immediately.

"Are you sure spending all day shopping was a good idea?" he asks with concern. "After all, Mrs. Taylor _did _tell you to stay at home and off your feet."

"I know, love," I reply quietly, "but I'm fine. I made sure I took breaks so I didn't get too tired or over-exert myself. I just… needed to get out of this house." Draco gives me a sympathetic and apologetic smile before kissing my forehead; he clearly feels bad that I'm stuck here all the time.

"I know you did, darling," he replies softly. He and I stare at each other in silence for a moment, smiling brightly, and then Narcissa feels the need to fill the silence.

"Well, I don't know about you three," she says, "but I'm _starved_; the maids should already have dinner finished… let's go eat!"

"Oh, no!" I groan loudly, "I'm too tired to eat! I'm too tired to _move_."

"It's alright love, I've got you," Draco says immediately, taking me into his arms and standing up. I wrap my arms around his neck in response and allow him to carry me to the dinner table, where dinner is already waiting. Narcissa and Lucius follow us into the dining room, and the four of us begin eating heartily. Narcissa gossips all throughout dinner, as usual, and she, Draco, Lucius and I all thoroughly enjoy the conversation as well as the food. I have to fight to stay awake, however; I'm so exhausted from the day's activities that I seriously consider putting my head down on the table and going to sleep right there. I know that would be terribly rude and improper, however, so I force myself to stay awake.

Noticing my drooping eyelids, Draco scoops me into his arms again immediately after dinner, carrying me upstairs. Completely drained, I don't protest, but close my eyes and lean my head against his chest as he carries me to our bedroom. He lays me down on the bed softly before removing his shirt and walking around to his side of the bed, laying down and sliding closer to me. I snuggle up against him closely, yawning heavily as he wraps his strong, muscular arms around me and kisses my forehead.

"Draco," I mumble quietly.

"Yes, love?" he asks sweetly.

"I want a pickle with ketchup," I mumble in response, barely louder than a whisper. Draco chuckles in response to my statement; my craving for pickles and ketchup has bewildered him from the first moment I had it.

"Darling, I'd get you one," he begins with a light-hearted chuckle, "but you'll be asleep before I even get out of the bed."

"No I won't," I mumble in response, "I'm just resting my eyes; it's too early to go to bed, it's not even seven yet."

Again, Draco chuckles in response. "Mmm Hmm," he replies; he's known me for so long that he _knows _I'm going to fall asleep, and that I won't be waking up anytime soon. "Goodnight, beautiful," he says quietly as I begin to doze off, "I love you."


	25. Chapter 25 Exhaustion

Though I fell asleep very early Monday night, I immediately go back to sleep after Draco leaves for work on Tuesday morning. I don't wake up again until almost noon, and though I sit up, I remain in bed even after I've awakened because my entire body is sore and achy from all the walking I did yesterday. Narcissa comes into the room a little while later, carrying a tray of food with her.

"It's good to see you finally awake, dear," she says quietly, "I was getting a little worried about you."

"I'm fine," I reply with a yawn, "just tired."

"I can tell," Narcissa responds. She has a seat on Draco's side of our bed and slowly and carefully passes me the tray of food she's just brought up. Hungrier than _I'd_ even realized I was, I start eating immediately, and Narcissa remains in the room until I've finished my lunch. Afterwards, she takes the empty tray from me and stands, making her way across the bedroom floor. As she does so, a question pops into my mind; I've just realized someone's missing… _two _someones, to be exact.

Just before Narcissa leaves the room, I call out to her. "Narcissa?" I begin with curiosity.

"Yes, dear?" she replies.

"I was wondering if you've heard anything from Hermione and Ginny," I reply, "they were supposed to come and visit today."

"Yes, dear," she replies immediately, "they stopped by this morning, but you were still asleep. I told them you weren't feeling well and they left."

"Oh, okay… thank you," I reply glumly.

"You're welcome," Narcissa replies with a smile. She leaves the room immediately, leaving me alone once more.

Now faced with the idea of staying in my room, alone, in bed _all day long_, I begin to wish I'd woken up earlier. That way, Narcissa wouldn't have felt the need to send Hermione and Ginny home, and they could be up here right now, helping to ease at least a _little _of this boredom. Having _absolutely _nothing else to do, I lie back down on the bed and close my eyes. Though I'm not tired any more, laying there doing nothing causes me to fall asleep again, without even realizing I have.

I'm awakened a short while later by the sound of Draco calling my name, and immediately sit up in bed, searching the room for him. _Surely I didn't sleep until five o'clock! _I think to myself. I calm down a bit when I realize that Draco's not in the room; he must have spoken to me through our love bond. "Draco?" I call out to him apprehensively through my mind, "Did you just call my name?"

"I did, love," he replies, "I called out to you several times and you didn't answer… is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's fine," I respond, "I was asleep."

"Asleep? At two o'clock in the afternoon?" he asks.

"Yes," I reply quietly, "and you don't have to say it… I already know how lazy that makes me sound."

"I was actually going to ask if you're feeling okay… you're normally up with the sun," he replies.

I smile slightly at the concern evident in Draco's voice before responding. "I'm okay love," I reply, "just still a little tired and sore from yesterday… I woke up earlier but I must have fallen back asleep out of pure boredom; Hermione and Ginny aren't here today."

"Oh… okay," Draco replies. "Well is there anything you need? Anything I can get for you?"

"No, I'm fine baby," I reply, "but thank you for asking."

"You're welcome, darling," Draco answers. "I've got to get back to work now… I just wanted to check in on you… make sure you were having a good day."

"I am," I reply.

"Good," Draco responds, "I'll see you this evening… I love you."

"I love you, too, honey," I think to him in response, ending our conversation. I decide to get up immediately afterwards; _I've been asleep far too long, _I tell myself. I slowly and carefully get out of bed, my entire body aching in protest as I do so. Trying to figure out what I can do to occupy myself, I quickly decide to have a shower, hoping the warm water will ease my aching muscles. Knowing that Draco won't be home for a few hours, I don't bother with taking a change of clothes into the bathroom with me; I'll simply wrap up in a towel and walk over to the closet to pick out my clothes when I'm done showering.

I step into the bathroom and turn on the hot faucet in the shower, allowing the water to warm up before removing my clothes and stepping into the warm, medicinal flow. The warm shower actually does a _lot _to improve my aches, and I step out twenty minutes later feeling ten times better. As planned, I wrap up in a towel and walk to the bathroom door, pulling it open and preparing to walk across the room to the closet to get a pair of clothes.

Once I've opened the door, however, I see an incredible sight and stop dead in my tracks, surveying Draco's and my bedroom, which has somehow been transformed in the past twenty minutes. The curtains are drawn and dozens of candles are lit all around the room. Lavender flower petals adorn the entire floor as well as the bed, and create a trail that leads from the bathroom door. Though I didn't make the bed once I got out of it, it is indeed now made as though it had never been slept in, and an enormous white teddy bear sits on top of my pillow. A large, stuffed red heart is sewn into the bear's hands, and it's been transfigured to flash a message across the heart: _I love you, my angel. _I gasp and place my hand on my mouth, glancing around at all the romantic gestures that have been made. I know exactly _who _did this, but am unsure of _how _he did it; he's nowhere to be seen and should still be at work.

There's a knock on the bedroom door a moment later as I continue to stare around at the room, and I immediately rush into the closet, pulling my clothes on rapidly. For a moment, I honestly think, and selfishly hope, that it's Draco at the door, but then I hear Narcissa's voice call out to me from behind it. "Jayde?" she calls, "Are you awake?"

"Yes, I'm coming, Narcissa," I reply, "I'm just getting dressed!" I pull on the first shirt and pair of pants I can grab and rush to the door, opening it for Narcissa. When my future mother-in-law enters the room, she's carrying a gigantic bouquet of purple orchids in her hands.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, dear," she says immediately, "but these just arrived for you."

"Wh… what?" I ask incredulously as I examine the flowers more closely.

"A messenger just delivered them," Narcissa continues, "there's a card, too." Narcissa extends the card in her flower-free hand for me to take, but before I can get the card open there's a loud _pop _and Pinky appears directly in front of me. Narcissa and I both eye the house elf curiously, and as I do so I notice what's in her hand; a plate with a pickle and ketchup on it. I chuckle slightly at this odd but sweet gesture; Draco hasn't missed a _single _detail.

"Pinky!" I exclaim, "Did you do _all this?_"

"Master Draco is asking Pinky if she would like to do something nice for Missus Jayde, to make her feel better… and Pinky is saying 'yes'!" the house elf replies happily.

"Oh Pinky, thank you _so much!" _I reply, stooping down with great difficulty and wrapping the house elf in a hug. Pinky beams up at me in response and hands me the pickle, which I take from her with a huge smile on my face.

"Missus Jayde is needing to read the card from Master Draco," Pinky urges me.

Immediately, I set the plate with the pickle on it on top of my vanity and begin opening the card that was enclosed with the flowers. Too tired to continue holding the flowers, which admittedly look very heavy, Narcissa places them on the vanity as well while I open the card.

_My darling angel, _it reads, _I know you're having a rough time now as your due date draws nearer, and I thought you could use some pampering. I know you've felt ill and bored all day, so I'm sending these flowers, and a few other things, in the hopes they'll make you feel better since I can't be there right now. I can't wait to see you this evening, baby. All my love, Draco. _

I'm near tears by the time I finish reading the card, and Narcissa, who has been reading over my shoulder, exclaims, "Aww… how sweet!" That's not all there is to the card, however; there's a line of text at the bottom which I begin reading as soon as I see it.

_P.S._, it says, _I've been thinking about songs we could play at our wedding and thought perhaps we should start with this one; let me know what you think._

I'm admittedly puzzled by this line, and look up at Narcissa with curiosity. _What song is he talking about? _I ask myself, _There's no song name written on the paper._

Then, as if on cue, Pinky snaps her fingers and causes the nearby radio to come on, playing my favorite song; the one by the Broken Broomsticks that reminds me of Draco. I gasp and then a huge smile spreads across my face as I listen to the group's lead singer belt out the lyrics; _I am the luckiest girl alive_, I think to myself. I have a seat on the sofa that sits at the end of our bed and close my eyes, losing myself within the lyrics.

"Thank you," I think to Draco, "this was very sweet of you; you certainly know how to make me feel better. The only thing that could make this better is if you were here with me."

"I'm glad you liked it, love," he replies instantly. I can tell by the sound of his voice that he's smiling from ear to ear. "I'll be home in just a little while," he continues.

"Okay," I say quietly. Once finished speaking to Draco, I open my eyes to find that Narcissa and Pinky have left the room; they're both clearly trying to give me some privacy during this very sweet and intimate moment. I remain seated on the sofa and continue to listen to the song, swaying along in my seat in time with the music. I use my wand to summon the teddy bear Draco got for me, and hug it tightly to my chest as the song starts over. Then I also summon the plate with the pickle on it, and devour the pickle quickly before banishing the plate. And just over two hours later when Draco returns from work, I'm still seated in that exact same spot, listening to that same song with the candles still lit and the flower petals still on the floor.

I look up at Draco and smile when he walks in, and he smiles back at me in response before crossing the floor and taking a seat next to me on the sofa. "Did you have a good day, darling?" he asks kindly.

"Thanks to you," I respond.

Then, unable to keep myself from gushing any longer, I abandon the stuffed teddy bear on the couch beside me and turn to my right to face Draco. I immediately lean forward and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him in to a series of long, passionate kisses. We make out for quite some time; Draco pulls me into his lap and continues to kiss me hungrily. When I moan against his lips a few moments later as we continue to kiss, Draco lets out a pleased grunt and places his hands on my breasts, massaging them gently. I sigh between kisses as I place my hands on the back of Draco's head and pull him closer to me. Now gasping for air, the both of us begin to crave each other's touch. I place my hands on Draco's abdomen and rub it lightly as he continues to massage my breasts. A few moments later, I unbutton Draco's shirt and remove it, throwing it across the room carelessly. Once I've done so, Draco realizes we're both getting way too worked up, way too quickly, and he stops massaging my breasts.

"This… certainly is… something… nice to come home to… after a long… day… at work," he begins between kisses, "but perhaps… we should… stop now… darling, before things get… out of… control."

"But I don't want to," I whine, still continuing to kiss Draco heatedly.

"Mmm… I know baby, I don't either," he replies breathlessly. At this, I kiss him again and slip my tongue into his mouth, flicking it across his. Suddenly caught up in the moment again, Draco begins to return my French kisses immediately. It's only a few moments later, when I feel the raised area between Draco's legs press against me, that I realize exactly how much harder we're making this on ourselves right now. I stop kissing Draco and bite my lower lip, torn between what I _want _to do, and what I know I _should _do.

Thankfully, at just that moment, Narcissa knocks on the door and informs us that dinner's ready. The mood suddenly killed by the fear of being walked in on, I slide myself out of Draco's lap and back into my former position on the sofa. Gasping for air and trying to calm ourselves, Draco and I sit in silence for a moment. Finally, Draco speaks. "You can go ahead down to dinner if you want, love," he says breathlessly, "I'm going to need a moment… or a cold shower…"

I gasp and my eyes widen at Draco's confession, and then I suddenly find myself smiling. I close my mouth and try to disguise the smile, but Draco's much too quick for that. His eyes sparkling, he says, "It's not funny!" playfully, and I can't help it; I burst into raucous laughter. Draco shakes his head and starts laughing right along with me.

"I'm sorry, dear," I say between breaths, "it's not funny… it's just the way you said it!"

"Oh go ahead! Laugh it up, now, Mrs. Malfoy!" he replies playfully. Then he puts on a more serious expression and leans his head closer to mine. "Because on our wedding night you'll be too busy moaning to laugh," he whispers in my ear sensually. My jaw drops and my eyes widen at Draco's statement. The centers of my breasts become taught with excitement and an involuntary shiver runs down my spine and seems to course throughout my body. I'm amazed by the reaction my body gives in response; Draco didn't even touch me… all he had to do was say those words to get me all wound up. I quickly try to regain my composure, but Draco's already seen my reaction. He chuckles slightly and whispers in my ear again. "I'm so ready for us to be married," he says.

"So am I," I whisper in response.


	26. Chapter 26 End of an Era

Once Draco and I have calmed down enough, we go downstairs and join his parents for dinner. Afterwards, we retire to the drawing room, where we spend the majority of the rest of the night, watching films or playing wizard's chess. We don't go to bed until the wee hours of the morning, since I slept practically all day and Draco doesn't have to be up so early in the morning; he doesn't have to work tomorrow because I have a maternity checkup.

Narcissa wakes us up around ten a.m. on Wednesday, which is October twenty-seventh, and Draco and I both get our showers and get dressed to go to St. Mungo's. When we arrive, we're immediately taken into an examination room, and Mrs. Taylor walks in just a few moments later. She performs all the usual tests, which produce positive results, and then tells me that the baby has 'dropped', which means I could go into labor any day now.

Terrified, I barrage her with questions about the big day that I've developed while reading the pamphlets she's given me; such as whether or not I'll be giving birth naturally… without a pain potion. "I'm sorry dear," she says with a sigh, "but that's just not possible because of your abilities. If you're in extreme pain you will be unable to control yourself; pain is just as emotional as it is physical. You'd cause all sorts of weather anomalies; hurricanes, tornadoes… and all of them at the same time! I'm afraid you'll have to be given something for pain… and something _strong _at that."

"Okay," I reply, nodding my head in agreement with what she's saying. _To be honest, I don't think I'd have been able to handle the birth without pain medicine anyway,_ I think to myself.

Once the examination is over, Mrs. Taylor bows us out of the room and tells us she'll see us all in a week's time… _if not sooner_. My skin turns pale when she says this, but she quickly reassures me that everything will be fine and that she'll be with me every step of the way when the time comes. This thought cheers me up a bit, and Draco, Narcissa and I leave St. Mungo's and head out into Diagon Alley for lunch. We eat at the Golden Cauldron again, and go home immediately afterwards, each of us taking a seat in the Drawing Room and discussing the songs to be played at the wedding and reception to pass the time.

As we're sitting there talking, an unfamiliar owl flies into the room and lands on my lap with a letter tucked in its beak. I take the letter from the owl and thank him, and he flies off in the direction of the family's private owlery. I'm curious to see who the letter's from, and am immediately reminded that Harry still hasn't returned my letter. Wondering if this letter could be from him, I begin to open it earnestly and nervously while Draco and Narcissa watch. I squeal with delight as I read the letter and all thought of Harry is gone as I realize the letter's _not _from him; it's from Marie.

"What is it?" Draco asks nervously, "Darling, who's it from?"

"It's Marie!" I exclaim, turning to look at him, "She says she had the baby last week! It's a girl!"

Draco smiles in response, seeming a bit relieved for some reason, and Narcissa gasps. "Oh, how sweet!" she says excitedly, "What did they name her?"

"Andrea Marie," I reply.

"Aww, that's lovely! We'll have to have her and Allen over for dinner to celebrate soon," Narcissa continues.

I completely agree with Narcissa, but not for the reasons she probably thinks I do. _Marie is one of my dear friends, and she just went through the labor process; she can tell me what it's like! _ I think to myself. _That way, I'll be a little more prepared! _I decide to reply immediately and Draco runs upstairs to find a quill, ink, and parchment. I quickly scribble an excited note, congratulating my friend and telling her that she, Allen, and little Andrea are more than welcome at Malfoy Manor anytime so that we can celebrate the arrival of their daughter. I then seal the letter and give it to Draco, who goes back upstairs and gives it to one of the family owls to deliver. He, Narcissa, and I spend the rest of the afternoon lazily lounging around in the Drawing room discussing the baby and the wedding.

The news that Marie and Allen's baby has arrived excites Draco and Narcissa, and even Lucius once he comes home and finds out. I, however, grow more nervous by the second as I wait for Marie's response, hoping to see her and ask her about her experience with giving birth before I find myself in the hospital. I receive no response letter from her on Wednesday, and stay awake when Draco leaves for work on Thursday, pacing with anticipation and waiting to hear back from her.

When I've received no response by noon, I become very frustrated and impatient and walk downstairs looking for Narcissa, who I haven't seen all morning. When I reach the final flight of stairs down to the entrance hall, I see one of the maids come rushing in from outside looking frantic. When she sees me, she runs straight up the stairs in a nervous frenzy, causing me to stop dead in my tracks.

"Miss Jayde!" she cries, "Thank Merlin you're here!" Quickly becoming frightened by the maid's behavior, I urge her to calm down and tell me what's wrong. "There's a young woman at the gates!" she replies, "She says she was invited here, but I don't recognize her! Maids aren't allowed to let in someone we don't recognize, and I can't find Mistress Malfoy!"

"So it's up to me, then?" I ask, "I've got to decide whether or not this woman can enter the gates?"

"Yes ma'am," the maid replies.

"Well that's nothing too horrible; why did you get so upset over it?" I ask her.

"I just… I didn't know what to do!" the maid explains, "This has never happened to me before! I'm sorry for being such a nuisance!"

The maid looks extremely close to tears and I feel sorry for her. "There, there, calm down," I say gently, patting her on the arm. "It's all right; you're not being a nuisance. Now, let's go outside and see who this is, shall we?"

The maid nods her head in agreement and the two of us make our way down the stairs and out the front door. We walk swiftly down the paved walkway, towards the wrought-iron gates. I feel a little apprehensive about this; I'm curious as to who could be outside the gates and what business they have at Malfoy Manor. When I'm still a short distance away, however, I can already tell that the person outside the gates is in fact Marie, and she's got baby Andrea with her.

"Oh my Merlin, Marie!" I scream excitedly. I seriously consider running the rest of the distance to the gates but quickly think better of it; as big as my belly is now I'd almost certainly trip and fall. I start walking a little more swiftly, instead, hurrying towards my friend.

"So, you know who this is then, Miss Jayde?" the maid asks as she, too, quickens her pace.

"Yes, of course!" I reply excitedly, "She's my friend!"

I cover the remaining distance between myself and the gate quickly, and start squealing at Marie once I've reached my destination. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" I exclaim.

"It's great to see you too, Jayde!" she replies.

"Well come on, come in!" I urge her, waving her forward. Marie seems a bit unsure of whether or not she'll be able to enter the gates, but she takes a step forward and passes through them as though they're made of smoke; apparently my inviting her in _worked_.

Once she's reached the inside of the gates, I pull Marie into a gentle hug as best I can, since the baby's in her arms. Once we've exchanged hugs and greetings, Marie introduces me to the little pink bundle that's wrapped in her arms; little Andrea looks _just like _Marie. "Oh, she's _so _beautiful!" I exclaim, "She looks just like you!"

"Aww, thank you Jayde," Marie replies, "I see your little one still hasn't arrived yet." I simply shake my head in response.

"Come on, let's get inside… we can talk there," I say quickly. Marie, who has her hands full with the baby, asks if the maid wouldn't mind carrying her diaper bag.

"Oh no, of course not!" the maid replies, and she rushes forward and takes the bag off Marie's shoulder. The three of us make our way up to the house and Marie and I immediately have a seat in the drawing room. The maid steps in the room as well, but only for long enough to leave Marie's diaper bag sitting beside her on the sofa, after which she scurries out of the room to get back to her chores. Marie and I start talking immediately.

"You surprised me!" I begin excitedly, "I was expecting you to write back and tell me you and Allen would be over for dinner, but instead, you just showed up!"

"I know… it's awfully rude of me," Marie responds.

"No, not at all!" I reply, "I'm _thrilled _that you're here. But where's Allen?"

"At work," she replies shortly.

"At… at work?" I ask incredulously, "But shouldn't he be on leave right now? You two just had a baby!"

"The Minister offered him leave, but he wouldn't take it," Marie replies. "He… he doesn't want to be at home right now any more than he has to."

I immediately feel a sense of foreboding, but can't help but ask the next question that pops into my head. "What do you mean?" I ask her.

"Oh, Jayde… it's _so horrible!" _she responds, immediately in tears. "Our marriage is falling apart! Allen isn't at all happy about the baby! He doesn't help me with her _at all! _And she sleeps all day and keeps me awake _all night; _I don't _know _the last time I got a good night's rest!"

Horrified, I listen to my friend's sobs and try to comfort her, all while wondering what could have possibly caused such chaos between a seemingly happy couple. "I'm sure Allen is very happy about the baby," I assure her, "it's just going to take some getting used to, is all. And he wants to work as much as he can to make sure he's got enough money to provide for the two of you; I'm _sure_ that's why he didn't take the leave the Minister offered him."

"No, Jayde! He's not happy! He _told _me so!" Marie replies with a very distraught tone in her voice.

"He's not happy about what?" I ask, admittedly confused.

"The baby!" she explains. "Jayde, he wanted a _son_; an _heir_! He says I let him down because I gave birth to a girl, and _that's _why he's gone back to work and refuses to help me with her!" My eyes widen in shock at Marie's confession, and my heart aches for my friend, who's clearly going through a lot right now. I secretly begin to wonder if _this _is what Marie and Allen had fought about when I found her in Diagon Alley one day a few months ago, crying her eyes out. I immediately want to say or do something to help, but I have no words that can ease such a horrible situation as this one.

"Oh Marie… I'm _so _sorry," I say sympathetically, "but the fact that she was born a girl is _not _your fault! And besides, Allen should love her, regardless."

"That's what I said!" Marie responds, "But all he could say to that was, '_You're not a man, Marie… I don't expect you to understand'." _Still not having any words to appease this situation or my friend's aching heart, I simply get up and cross the room, taking a seat beside her and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I thought everything would get _better _once the baby got here," Marie continues, "but it's _so _awful! Allen and I wanted a child more than anything, and now I wish I'd never gotten pregnant!"

"Marie, don't say that!" I exclaim, horrified by my friend's statement. "You've got Andrea now, and she's the most precious thing I've ever seen! Even if you and Allen don't stay together, you should _never _regret _her."_

"I know, I know," she sighs in response. "I didn't mean it that way; it's just… I've been through _so much_, with the pregnancy and the labor and all… but now it's like none of that matters to Allen because she's a _girl_." Feeling that now might be the perfect time to ask Marie the question that's been weighing on my mind since I got her letter, I wait until she's finished speaking before I begin.

"And... what was labor _like_?" I ask nervously.

"Oh goodness!" Marie exclaims, "I'd forgotten you still haven't been through it yet… I'm scaring you, aren't I?"

"Just a little," I reply truthfully.

"I'm sorry," she says kindly. "It's really not so bad. I mean, it _hurts_, but it's over with fairly quickly, considering you carried the child for _nine months. _It's after the birth that's frustrating; my breasts started leaking and my monthly cycle came back with a _vengeance_." Noticing how wide my eyes have gotten and how pale my skin has turned, Marie apologizes once more. "Don't mind me," she says, "I'm not the best person to ask about this right now. I'm just grumpy because I haven't had any sleep."

Feeling sympathetic, I really wish there was something I could do to make Marie feel better… and then it hits me; there _is _something I can do… something that would help both myself _and _Marie. "Marie, why don't you get some sleep while you're here?" I suggest, "I can look after Andrea."

"Oh no Jayde, I couldn't possibly. I came over here to visit with you, not to dump my daughter off on you!"

"Come on, Marie," I urge, "you need the rest and you're not likely to get it at home, now are you? Besides, Andrea's being pretty calm and quiet right now, I'm sure I can handle her for a couple of hours; I used to watch the babies at the orphanage for Ms. Fitzpatrick every once in a while. And I'm about to have a baby anyways; I could use the practice."

Instead of responding, Marie eyes me curiously. "You'd… you'd really do that for me?" she asks. "You'd really watch Andrea so I can sleep?"

"Of course!" I reply, "That's what friends are for!"

Marie's eyes suddenly fill with tears. "But… if Allen found out I'd let someone else take care of her…" she begins with dread in her voice.

"He _won't," _I interrupt, reassuring her.

"_Oh_ Jayde, thank you so much!" she cries. Then, without further ado, she slides closer to me and extends her arms, with Andrea still bundled up in them. "There, hold your arms Iike this, just like Mrs. Taylor showed us in parenting class," she instructs me. I do as I'm told and remain frozen in the exact same position as Marie places the little pink bundle in my arms. Though I've held babies that were only a few months old before, I'm terrified to move, or even breathe too roughly; this baby is less than a _week _old, and I feel as though I'm holding a priceless porcelain doll that will break if handled incorrectly.

"Just relax," Marie instructs me, "you won't break her." Still being extremely cautious and moving very slowly, I move into a more comfortable position. "That's it," Marie says matter-of-factly. "Now then," she continues, "if she gets hungry, there's two bottles in her diaper bag. You just warm them up for a few seconds. And if you feed her, make sure to burp her halfway through the bottle." She takes a cloth off her shoulder and places it on mine. "Always keep this on your shoulder," she says, "it'll keep her from spitting up on your clothes. And don't worry if she _does _spit up, it's normal for babies. And there's diapers and wipes in her bag, as well, in case she needs changing."

"Okay," I reply with a nod of my head. I can't help but think to myself that there's a _lot _more to looking after a baby for a few hours than I thought there would be; I've only looked after babies for a few moments at the most. Noticing my uneasiness, Marie asks if I'm sure about this once more. "Absolutely," I reply, sounding _much _more confident than I feel, "now you get on up to mine and Draco's bedroom; you'll be much more comfortable in there."

"Oh no, I couldn't!" Marie replies, "I'll be fine down here on the sofa." I give her a knowing look and quickly say, "Marie… just go." Though she still looks unsure, Marie's exhaustion takes over and she nods her head, getting to her feet.

"Thank you _so much _Jayde," she says quietly. "You have _no _idea how much this means to me… how helpful you're being. You really are the best friend I have." I smile at my friend in response and nod my head as she turns and leaves the drawing room, making her way upstairs to get some rest. Once she's out of sight, I glance down at the infant lying in my arms, still baffled by the idea that Allen, or _anyone _for that matter, could _not _feel drawn to such a beautiful and innocent thing. I sit there staring down at the child for quite some time, and watch every move she makes in awe.

She falls asleep a short time later, only to be awaken a few moments later by the sound of Narcissa entering the front door. Baby Andrea immediately starts crying, and I gently rock her back and forth, trying to soothe her and put her back to sleep. Not knowing that Marie and Andrea are here, Narcissa grows frantic when she hears the sound of the baby crying and comes rushing towards the drawing room, searching for the source of the noise. "Jayde?" she calls frantically.

"I'm here!" I call in response. When she enters the drawing room and sees me sitting down holding Andrea and trying to rock her back to sleep, she seems relieved for some reason.

"That must be little Andrea Brown," she says knowingly. I nod my head in response, still trying to comfort the screaming infant. Noticing my futile attempts, Narcissa offers a suggestion to help me calm the baby. "Perhaps she's hungry," she offers kindly.

"Right," I reply, suddenly feeling very small and helpless, like I've done something wrong that's causing Andrea to continue to cry. "Narcissa, maybe you should take her…" I begin, but my future mother-in-law cuts me off before I can finish asking my question.

"No, you might as well get used to this now," she says firmly. "Now naturally, as a new mother, you're going to panic when the baby starts crying. The trick is to remain calm and try to figure out what's wrong. You'll try feeding her first, and if that doesn't work we'll figure something else out."

"Oh… okay," I reply, feeling a bit flustered. "Marie said her bottles are in the diaper bag. She said to warm them up…" I begin.

"I know," Narcissa interrupts once more. She opens several of the pockets on Marie's diaper bag and finally finds the correct one. Then she uses her wand to warm the bottle for only a few seconds. "Now, you'll want to make sure the milk is lukewarm… you don't want it too hot or too cold. To make sure, just dab a little of it onto your wrist, like this," she instructs. She extends her free arm and turns it face up, dripping a small amount of milk onto the underside of her exposed wrist. I watch earnestly while still gently rocking Andrea in my arms. Once Narcissa's satisfied that the milk is cool enough, she brings the bottle over to me and places it in my right hand.

"There now," she says, guiding my hand towards the baby's mouth, "not _too _high; you don't want her to get too much at one time or she'll choke." Panicking, I try to jerk my hand away from the bottle, but Narcissa holds it firmly in place, continuing to instruct me instead of feeding the baby herself. She helps me ease the bottle into Andrea's open and wailing mouth, and the infant immediately stops crying and begins sucking on the bottle eagerly. Thankful that she's stopped crying, I sigh with relief and a huge smile crosses my face. _That's one crisis averted_, I tell myself.

"There, that's all she wanted!" Narcissa says brightly. "Now, did Marie tell you to burp her half-way through the bottle?" I nod my head in response to Narcissa's question, and this question causes Narcissa to realize that she has another. "Wait… where _is _Marie?" she asks a moment later.

"Upstairs, getting some rest," I reply without looking away from the baby, "she said she was really tired, so I told her I'd look after Andrea while she slept."

"Well that was _very _nice of you, dear," Narcissa replies quietly. I halfway expect her to ask me where Allen is as well, but I'm thankful that she doesn't; I wouldn't want to lie to Narcissa, but I'm sure Marie wouldn't want the whole wizard world knowing that her marriage is falling apart, either. Narcissa and I watch in silence for a few moments as Andrea drinks the first half of her bottle, after which Narcissa has me take the bottle out of Andrea's mouth and give it to her.

Little Andrea blinks for a moment, seeming confused as to why her milk is gone. "Now then," Narcissa says, "hold her up against your shoulder, like _this_." Narcissa uses her hands to guide mine, wrapping my left hand around the baby gently and using it to support her weight as I lean her up against my shoulder. Once I've got the baby situated, Narcissa gives me further instruction. "Now you just pat her back gently with your free hand until she burps."

Sensing the uneasiness I'm feeling at this particular piece of advice, Narcissa quickly reassures me. "Go ahead dear," she says, urging me on. I nod my head in response and begin to tap Andrea's back lightly with my right hand. To my surprise, she lets out a tiny burp after only a few pats; I gasp and smile at the realization that I've managed to accomplish this feat as well. Narcissa praises me and then helps me regain the hold I formerly had on Andrea before returning the bottle to my hand.

I immediately begin feeding the baby the remaining milk; only this time, I do it _by myself_, without Narcissa's help. Narcissa tells me that she thinks I've got everything under control, and she walks swiftly out of the drawing room and upstairs, calling over her shoulder as she goes. "Don't forget to burp her again once she's done drinking!" she says, "And call me if you need me!" Still watching Andrea finish her bottle in awe, I don't answer Narcissa. When the infant finishes drinking a few moments later, I set the bottle to the side and slowly and carefully ease her back up to the burping position, perched on my left shoulder. I pat her back a few times until she burps, but I'm not really sure what to do after that.

Thinking that perhaps the tiny child is ready to go back to sleep, I cradle her in my arms and rock her gently. It works; in just a few moments' time I notice her eyelids are getting heavy. I stop rocking her once she falls asleep and simply sit there in silence, admiring the sleeping child. _Maybe this won't be so bad_, I think to myself.


	27. Chapter 27 Test Run

I continue to watch over Marie's daughter for the rest of the afternoon. It goes fairly well; Andrea sleeps for the majority of the time, as Marie indicated she would. She only wakes twice; once because she needs her diaper changed, and once because she's hungry again. Though Narcissa constantly checks in on me to make sure I've got everything under control, she doesn't happen to be anywhere nearby during the two times Andrea's awake. I somehow miraculously manage to change the baby's diaper _and _feed her again on my own. _Those parenting classes certainly paid off! _I think to myself.

Once I've finished feeding Andrea the second bottle _and _burping her, I immediately begin to rock her again, trying to get her to fall back asleep. Feeling restless from having been sitting down holding her all day, I decide to stand up as I rock her, and carefully get to my feet with the infant in my arms. I walk around the room slowly, stretching my legs as I continue to rock the child to sleep. For some reason, however, Andrea's being a little less cooperative this time; she doesn't seem to _want _to go back to sleep. I continue to pace the room, however, and eventually come to a halt standing in front of the fireplace with my back to the drawing room door.

Trying to think of another way to soothe the crying child, I decide to sing to her. I immediately start singing a lullaby; one Ms. Fitzpatrick used to sing to me all the time. I quietly croon out the Gaelic lyrics and watch as they cause the baby's eyelids to droop once more. I've almost got Andrea asleep a few moments later when I feel someone place a gentle hand on my left shoulder. Knowing its Draco, I smile slightly and turn my neck to the left, meeting his gaze. Time must have gotten away from me, for I didn't even realize it was time for him to come home.

Draco gives me a gentle kiss on the cheek and sweetly says, "You've got a _beautiful _voice, darling."

"Thank you," I reply sincerely, leaning in for a soft and quick kiss on the lips.

Apparently disturbed by the new noise in the room, little Andrea wakes up fully almost immediately and begins crying loudly once more. Startled, I pull away from Draco quickly and stare back down at the infant, trying to shush her. I start singing the Gaelic lullaby and rocking her again, which immediately calms her down. Turning to the left slightly, I can't help but notice that Draco's staring down at Andrea intently, and his face has gone a very pale shade of white.

I glance up at him curiously for a moment and quietly say, "Draco, this is Marie and Allen's daughter: Andrea Brown." For some reason, Draco exhales loudly and the color begins to return to his cheeks as I say this. He finally turns his eyes away from the infant and looks up at me with a wild and almost frantic look.

"Merlin," he says in an exasperated tone, placing his hand on his forehead. I wonder for a moment what's gotten Draco so worked up, and then a light bulb suddenly flashes on inside my head.

"You… you thought this was _our _baby?" I ask him, hardly able to believe I'm even asking this question. Draco gives me a knowing look in response.

"For a moment," he says quietly. I smile at Draco, trying to ease his nerves.

"I'm sorry, dear, I didn't mean to startle you," I reply.

"No, don't apologize," he says, "I was just being ridiculous. I'd already know if you'd had the baby, and I _know _that… I guess you could say I just got paranoid."

"You have nothing to worry about, love," I say soothingly. "Trust me, you'll _know _when our little one's on the way; come hell or high water I will _make sure _that you're there when it's born… if I have to run through the Ministry myself, screaming and trying to find you while I'm in labor."

Draco laughs at this statement and the tension that had built up on his shoulders eases, and he breathes another sigh of relief. "You promise?" he asks sarcastically. I roll my eyes at him and laugh in response. Then, almost immediately, a sense of horror sweeps over me.

"Draco!" I exclaim. "Allen… did he leave work already?" Immediately concerned by my sudden mood change, Draco places a comforting hand on my shoulder before speaking.

"N… no, darling," he replies, "he said he was going to work a little late tonight. Why? What's wrong?"

Though Marie _didn't _tell me earlier that Allen didn't want her leaving the house, I can't imagine that he'd take too kindly to coming home and not finding his wife there, with the way Marie says he's been acting lately. I realize I've got to get upstairs and warn Marie; to wake her up so she can get home before Allen does. Instead of answering Draco, I extend my arms, still holding the sleeping child, towards him. "Here, take Andrea!" I exclaim.

"Wh… what?" Draco asks, quickly backing away from the child, "I can't take her! I… I don't know how to hold a baby!"

"Draco, please!" I beg, "I've got to go wake Marie up; she _has _to be home before Allen gets there, or he'll be really angry with her!"

"Why would he be angry with her?" Draco asks suspiciously, "And why is she asleep over here?"

"I don't have time to tell you everything right now, darling, just… please! Hold Andrea, just long enough for me to go fetch Marie!" Draco's eyes are once again wide with shock, and he looks down at the baby in my arms. He looks terrified.

"But what if… what if I do something wrong?" he asks frantically, looking back up at me once more.

"You won't, love!" I reassure him, "Just remember what we did in Mrs. Taylor's parenting class! You'll be fine!"

"But… but that's a _real _baby!" Draco retorts, nodding towards the child.

"What do you think is growing inside me right now, Draco? Did you really think I was going to give birth to a doll?" I ask him, growing more frustrated by the second; I don't have much time to help my friend escape the wrath of her husband. Draco gives me a puzzled look, but I ignore it and continue urgently. "You might as well get over this fear _right now_," I tell him. "You're going to want to hold _our _baby when it gets here, aren't you?"

As soon as I've said this, realization dawns upon Draco's puzzled face. "Yeah… yeah, you're right, love," he says quietly with a nod of his head.

"All right then!" I reply, "Calm down and have a seat; I'll lay her in your arms." Draco immediately obeys, turning around and having a seat in the nearest chair. "Hold your arms like I've got mine," I instruct; Draco quickly does so. Then, taking care not to harm or wake the sleeping child, I slowly walk forward and lean down, gently placing Andrea into Draco's open and waiting arms. "There, that's perfect," I say softly, before quickly turning around and walking as fast as I can out of the drawing room, towards the stairs.

"Darling, don't run on the stairs!" Draco calls out to me, "You'll fall and hurt yourself!" I ignore him and continue speeding away, reaching the bottom of the stairs in only a matter of seconds.

I take a deep breath in and exhale fiercely, trying to calm myself as I continue to climb the stairs. As I reach the top of the third flight of stairs, I call out to Marie loudly. By the time I've reached Draco's and my bedroom door and fling it open, my yells have woken her and she's sitting up in the bed, looking very confused.

"I'm sorry I woke you," I begin, "but Draco's home from work… so that must mean it's only a short time before Allen gets home as well." Though I wasn't sure Marie would be in 'trouble' for not being at home when Allen got there, her reaction _clearly _tells me that my suspicions were correct.

"Oh, Merlin! I didn't mean to sleep so long!" she exclaims, jumping out of the bed quickly. She immediately grabs her pink ballet slipper shoes and pulls them onto her feet before rushing towards the doorway where I'm still standing, waiting for her. I turn and quickly begin making my way downstairs in front of her, thinking I'll help her gather her things so she can get home more quickly. Once we reach the Entrance Hall, I quickly make my way back towards the Drawing Room.

My heart gives an involuntary leap when I see Draco sitting there holding the baby, but I ignore it and rush forward, quickly but carefully taking the infant out of his arms. Draco breathes a sigh of relief and gets to his feet immediately, and I continue to hold Andrea while Marie rushes into the room and starts gathering her things, making sure she hasn't missed _one single _item. Once she's done so, she picks the diaper bag up and places the strap across her shoulder before extending her arms, ready to take her daughter. I ease the baby into her mother's arms, and Marie gives me an apologetic but grateful look.

"Thank you _so much_, Jayde," she says hurriedly.

"It's not a problem at all," I reply, "you two should come back as soon as you can."

"We will," Marie says meaningfully before turning on her heel and walking back into the Entrance Hall. Draco rushes forward and opens the front door for her, and she thanks him before stepping out onto the grounds and hurrying towards the wrought-iron gates. After closing the door behind her, Draco gives me a questioning look.

"Now," he says quietly, coming to stand directly in front of me. He places his hands on my hips and kisses my forehead lightly before continuing. "What the bloody hell was that all about?" he asks, looking deep into my eyes. I exhale loudly; glad to have those stressful moments over with, and take Draco by the hand, leading him back into the Drawing Room once more. He and I have a seat and I begin to tell him _everything_ that happened today, including Marie's confession. Draco seems thoroughly disgusted when I tell him how Allen's been behaving, and even more so when I tell him that he told Marie it's because their baby is a girl. He promises, however, not to say _anything _about it to Allen, and to act as though he hasn't seen Marie if Allen asks.

Once finished speaking, I lean forward and rest my head against Draco's shoulder, and he wraps his arms around me in response. "I know all this has probably got you worried," he whispers in my ear, "but I promise you that _won't _happen to us; I'm going to love our child, regardless of what sex it is."

"I know," I reply, nodding my head against his neck, "and you're going to be an amazing father."

"And _you're _going to be an amazing _mother," _he replies. "You were _wonderful _with Andrea today, even though I wasn't. And you took charge and helped me realize how stupid I was being when I was afraid to hold her." I smile against the skin of Draco's neck and close my eyes in response, glad to hear that _someone _thinks I will do well, even if I'm unsure myself. "Seeing you holding that baby was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Draco continues, "and I can only imagine how much more beautiful it will be when that's _our _baby you're holding."

Knowing exactly what Draco means, I nod my head in response and chuckle slightly. "I thought the same thing when I saw _you _holding her," I say quietly. I hear Draco chuckle as well, and he and I sit in silence for a few moments; he's still got his arms wrapped around me, and I've still got my head on his shoulder. When Narcissa summons us for dinner a short while later, we walk to the Dining Room arm-in-arm and take our seats, both of us eating ravenously. We go up to bed almost immediately after dinner, and I sleep for a while longer after Draco leaves for work on Friday morning.

Hermione and Ginny arrive around noon, and we spend the entire day downstairs in the drawing room, watching films on the projector, since I'm now supposed to stay off my feet as much as possible. My friends leave as soon as Draco gets home from work, and he and I spend a relaxing evening at home together, just enjoying each other's company.

Since I can't do much now, Saturday and Sunday pass by slowly, like molasses pouring from a jar. Draco and I remain in bed until almost noon both days, and spend the afternoons lounging around before eating dinner and going to bed fairly early. When Draco goes back to work on Monday morning, I walk across the hall to the Library on the third floor, close the door behind me, and begin perusing through the countless books, wanting to do something _different _for a change.

I finally choose a like-new copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard_. _Though I know the book is a set of wizards' fairy tales, I've never read it and realize I should probably familiarize myself with the stories, for the baby's sake. I take a seat in one of the very soft chairs nearby and begin pouring over the book, reading it fairly quickly. It is, after all, intended for children. Nearly two hours later, when I've nearly finished the entire book, I hear Narcissa calling my name from down the hall, near where Draco's and my bedroom door is. Apparently, she's opened the door and found that I'm not in there.

I lower the book and cry out; "I'm in the library, Narcissa!" I call to her, hoping it's loud enough for her to hear me. Waiting to hear a response from her, I gaze at the back of the Library door, half expecting it to open at any moment. By the time the door _does _open, I've noticed something on its backside that I haven't before. As Narcissa's opening the door, though, I don't have time to examine it very thoroughly. She enters the room and smiles at me, not bothering to close the door behind her.

"What are you reading, dear?" she asks as she crosses the room, walking towards me. Instead of answering, I hold the book up with both hands, allowing her to see the cover. "Ah, The Tales of Beedle the Bard," she says with a smile. Having now reached the area just to the left of the chair I'm sitting in, she halts. "Draco _loved _it when I read those stories to him when he was young," she continues. "He especially loved 'Babbity Rabbity'." I smile at the thought of Draco as a child and try to imagine what he must have been like. Seeming to have read my thoughts, Narcissa quietly says, "I'll have to see if I can find the family album, so you can see _all _my pictures of him as a child."

I smile and nod my head in response, and then remember there's _something else_ I want to see; whatever's on the back of the library door. "Narcissa," I begin cautiously, "just before you opened the door, I saw something on the back. What is it?" Narcissa seems confused for a moment, but then a look of understanding crosses her face.

"You must be talking about the family tree," she says finally. Then, taking me by surprise, she extends her hands and takes the book out of mine, laying it down open atop a nearby end table. Once finished with that, she extends her hands once more, indicating that I should take hold of her hands so that she can help me up. I extend my hands for her, and she slowly and carefully eases me to my feet. Then she wraps her arm around my shoulder and starts walking, guiding me over to the still-open library door. Once we get close enough, she reaches out with her free hand and closes the door, allowing me to see its back once more.

As soon as Narcissa closes the door, I gasp as I begin to examine what I'd only caught a glimpse of earlier. A green fabric covers the wooden surface, and there's black and silver embroidery covering it entirely. What I assume to be the Malfoy family crest rests at the very top of the door; it's the image of a green and black shield resting atop three black crossed arrows. Two green snakes are drawn wrapped around the arrow that points towards the ceiling, and a black dragon-like creature rests on either side of the middle of the shield. A large silver "M" is embroidered in the center of the shield, and a silver ribbon is embroidered across each side at the bottom of the shield. Black letters reading "_Sanctimonia Vincet Semper" _are embroidered in the center of the ribbons.

"Narcissa," I begin with a sideways glance at her, "what does that mean?"

"It means '_Purity Always Conquers'_," she replies, "and this, Jayde, is the Malfoy family tree."

Astonished, I look away from Narcissa and return my gaze to the door's back once more. Just below the family crest is the beginning of what Narcissa just described as the family tree; it's a massive embroidered image of intertwining black vines and silver leaves with small pictures scattered throughout it. The first pictures are of two people I assume to be Draco's most ancient ancestors; just below their pictures are silver ribbons bearing their names in black lettering. I begin scanning the pictures and names, admittedly searching for Draco. Once my eyes reach the ribbon reading "Abraxas Malfoy", I slow my pace; I know Abraxas Malfoy to be Draco's grandfather. Just beside Abraxas' picture is the picture of Draco's grandmother, with the ribbon bearing her name. A vine connects the two pictures, and another vine extends from the line connecting them.

The vine branches out into two separate pictures with names underneath them; the pictures of Lucius and his twin brother, Maximus. The mens' wives, Narcissa and Tracy's pictures, are connected to theirs, and their childrens' vines extend beneath them. Ignoring Maximus' side of the family tree, I let my eyes drift down to Draco's name and picture. To my immense shock, _my _picture rests just beside Draco's, with a ribbon beneath it bearing my name, Jayde Alyssa Newsome. There is no vine connecting mine and Draco's pictures, but there _are _two vines coming from mine and Draco's pictures, forming a triangle between the two of us. And at the point of that triangle is a darkened area on the green fabric, under which rests a silver ribbon. The ribbon is blank, however.

Realization dawns upon me and I gasp, "That's… !," I begin, but Narcissa interrupts me.

"Yes." she says, placing a hand on my shoulder, "That's where the picture of the baby will go, once it's born."

"Did… did you add me up there?" I ask skeptically.

"No," she replies, "the tree is enchanted… it automatically adds new family members."

Leaning down slightly, I run my fingers over the blank fabric where the baby's picture will go, and trace the vines leading up to Draco's picture and name, allowing them to linger there. My eyes automatically drift to the space between Draco's picture and mine; I have to admit that it saddens me that there's no line connecting the two of us. It looks horrible to me to see that even this family tree knows that Draco and I have an illegitimate child, and Narcissa immediately picks up on my sadness.

"Don't worry dear," she says kindly, "as soon as you and Draco are married, the tree will automatically correct itself, and your last name." I smile at the thought and continue to stare at the tree, amazed; I've never seen anything like it. Narcissa gives me a few moments to continue to admire the family tree before letting me know why she was looking for me a few moments ago. "Jayde," she begins quietly, "I was coming up here to let you know your friends are here. They're downstairs waiting; I told them I'd come up to see if you were awake."

"That's great! Thank you, Narcissa!" I reply happily, immediately standing up straight once more and grabbing the handle of the library door. I make my way down the third floor corridor and start walking downstairs, and find my friends in the entrance hall waiting for me.

Hermione and Ginny smile and look up at me, and once I reach the entrance hall the three of us retire to the drawing room. The girls and I spend the entire day together, and my friends leave as soon as Draco gets home from work that evening. After spending some time together, Draco and I join Lucius and Narcissa in the dining room for dinner, after which we immediately head up to we lie there waiting for sleep to come, I cuddle up against Draco's chest and tell him about the day's activities, and I also tell him that I found the family tree today as well.

The last thought that crosses through my mind before I fall asleep is that obviously, Mrs. Taylor was wrong in saying that it'd probably be a week or less before I went into labor; when I wake up in the morning it will be Tuesday, and Wednesday will make one week since Mrs. Taylor made that statement.


	28. Chapter 28 Surprise!

Very early in the morning on Tuesday, I wake to a sharp pain in my abdomen. I place my hands on the area and wince loudly, _so_ loudly in fact that I wake Draco from his dead sleep. Seeing my hands on my stomach he immediately goes into panic mode; "What's wrong, love?" he asks with alarm as he sits up and leans over me, examining me, "Is it time?"

"N… no, dear," I reply once the pain has ended, "It's just one of those false contractions again."

"Are you sure?" Draco asks, his eyes wild with fear.

"Yes, I'm sure," I reply, looking up at him in a comforting way. "It's gone now," I reassure him.

"Okay," he says, though he still seems a little unsure. Eyeing me apprehensively, Draco gives me a kiss on the forehead and then eases himself back onto the bed, falling back asleep almost immediately. I, too, find myself dozing off within a matter of moments. What I assume to be a short time later, however, I find myself waking up again to the exact same pain in my abdomen, causing me to cry out once more. I try to control my reaction this time, though; I don't want to wake Draco up again.

_After all, _I think to myself, _the last time these contractions happened, I assumed it was labor and only embarrassed myself, as it was just false labor. I won't raise the alarm now until I'm sure._ I lay there with my hand on my stomach once more until the cramp finally ends, after which I immediately start to doze off once more.

What seems like only five minutes later, I feel Draco move beside me, getting out of bed to get ready for work. When he shakes my shoulder gently and asks if I'd like to come down and have breakfast with him, I politely decline, informing him that I had a restless night and just want to go back to sleep. Seeming concerned, he gives me a quick kiss on the forehead and bids me farewell before heading downstairs. Before I can even fall back asleep, however, there's another cramp in my mid-section.

I once again wince in pain and cover the area with my hands. Actually beginning to get a little worried now, I fight to stay awake a little longer, promising myself that if it happens again anytime soon, I'll go to St. Mungo's and get checked out, just to be on the safe side. The cramp doesn't return, though, and I fall back asleep a short while later. When I wake again, to yet another cramp that goes away on its own, I decide to go ahead and go downstairs for breakfast once the cramp has ended; I'm not sure if I'll be able to fall back asleep, even though I'm still very tired.

Realizing that I need to use the bathroom first, however, I push myself out of bed and begin waddling in that direction. Before I can even get the bathroom door closed behind me, though, I feel the embarrassing sensation of water trickling down my leg. Though it feels a little different than when I normally use the bathroom, I'm pretty sure I know what it is. _Did I seriously just pee on myself?_ I wonder silently.

Only seconds later, I get the horrifying answer to the question I've just asked myself when a _terrible_ cramp overtakes my abdomen, nearly sending me to my knees. This cramp is ten times worse than the previous ones, and instead of wincing this time, I cry out in agony. I feel myself start to lose control of my powers slightly, and I hear a loud thunderclap in the distance. And then the terrifying truth dawns upon me; that _wasn't _pee… _my water _just_ broke! _

_Oh no, not NOW! _I think, both to myself and the baby, _Draco just left for work! _That, however, is obviously _not _going to stop this child from coming now if it wants to… and apparently, it _does. _Too terrified to move, I begin to frantically wonder what my next step should be; you can practice all you want, but when it comes down to the real thing, sometimes that practice doesn't seem to help. I cry out for Narcissa as loudly as I can, but it does no good as she's downstairs.

Panicking but trying to calm myself, I begin using the breathing exercises Draco and I have practiced. I convince myself that if I can calm down enough, I can walk downstairs and get Narcissa. My breathing slows considerably and I slowly and carefully turn and open the bathroom door before beginning to make my way across the bedroom. Before I can reach the door, however, another monstrous cramp strikes me, and I have to grab hold of the edge of the desk to keep myself standing as I scream, and thunder rolls once more, a little more loudly this time.

By the time the cramp has ended I'm breathing rapidly once more and there are tears steadily flowing from my eyes. I am _terrified; r_ain starts pouring outside in torrents, as made evident by the sound of the drops hitting the windows with an almost musical rhythm. Realizing that I'll never make it to Narcissa in time, I try to think of another solution to my problem, and one comes to me almost immediately.

"PINKY!" I say loudly, hoping with all my heart that the house elf can hear me, even though I'm not _technically _her master yet. Thankfully, it works; the elf apparates into the room with a quiet _Pop_.

"Missus Jayde, is you calling Pinky?" she asks, looking up at me but not registering what's going on.

"Yes!" I reply, still holding on to the side of the desk for support. "Oh Pinky, thank Merlin you came!" I continue, "I need you to get Narcissa for me, _now_ _please_, the baby's coming!"

Stunned, the house elf's eyes widen and she slowly shifts her gaze from my tear-streaked face to my mid-section, which I'm still grasping with my free hand. She stands there, just staring at my stomach for what seems like forever, and as she continues to stare another agonizing cramp overtakes me. I scream in distress, causing Pinky to snap out of whatever shocked and fearful daze she'd been in as a sharp bolt of lightning flashes outside.

"Right! Mistress Narcissa!" she says frantically, and with a snap of her fingers, she disapparates. While Pinky's gone, the aching in my abdomen stops, and I start trying to control my breathing once more. Less than a moment later, Pinky reappears with Narcissa in tow. Seeming confused, Draco's mother looks around the room for a moment and asks Pinky why she's brought her here. When her eyes rest upon me in my condition, however, she rushes forward and places her hands on my cheeks.

"Jayde? What's wrong, dear?" she asks soothingly.

"It's… time!" I gasp out while staring at her wild-eyed.

Just as Pinky did, Narcissa looks down at my stomach before exclaiming loudly, "Oh Merlin!" Then she frantically steps behind me and wraps my left arm around her shoulder while placing her right hand around my waist, holding me up. "Pinky!" she commands, "Take us to St. Mungo's!"

Nodding her head in agreement, the house elf quickly obeys and steps forward, taking my free hand. She disapparates, pulling Narcissa and I along with her, and we immediately reappear in the lobby of St. Mungo's Maternity Ward. The secretary gives us a strange look when we land, but once she sees the look on mine and Narcissa's faces, she needs no explanation. She jumps out of the seat behind her desk and rushes forward, grabbing a nearby wheelchair. She helps Narcissa ease me into the chair, and then gets behind it and grabs the handles. She starts speeding down a hallway, past all the examination rooms.

We make several twists and turns, and the secretary finally stops at a door at the end of a corridor and gestures for Narcissa to enter. When she does, the secretary immediately pushes me inside as well and calls several healers into the room before exiting, claiming that she's going to find Mrs. Taylor.

Everything starts happening so fast that I don't have time to get a good look at my surroundings, nor at the people in the room. The healers begin bustling about, helping me out of my wheelchair and my clothes and into a hospital gown. I don't even have time to feel self-conscious about my body being exposed as the healers help me out of my clothes; I'm too frantic. Once they've got me in the hospital gown, the healers ease me onto the delivery table; I'm propped up in an awkward position with pillows supporting my back and my legs spread, my feet resting in stirrups.

I no longer know where Narcissa is, I seem to have lost her in all the hustle and bustle, and that frightens me even more. "Narcissa?" I cry out, terrified.

"I'm here!" she says loudly, pushing her way to the front of the pack of healers. I feel slightly less afraid as Narcissa rushes forward and takes my hand, but then another terrifying thought occurs to me; _Draco doesn't know! _

"Narcissa!" I practically scream as I look up into her eyes, "Draco! Someone needs to get Draco!"

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, here we go! Are you excited? ****I'm sorry for the short chapter, but I didn't want the delivery to seem too rushed. As I've told several of you in my responses to your reviews, I am _really _nervous about the arrival of the baby; I don't want to disappoint anyone. And, as I've never been in labor, I'm worried that my description isn't very good. So please, let me know what you think!**

**Also, I have an announcement to make, one that I _hope _will make you all _very _happy. You may have already guessed this, but yes, there _will _be another sequel; I am too caught up in Draco and Jayde's story to stop now! Plot bunnies have just popped up in this story and made it longer than I thought it would be; I don't want to write a 60-chapter story, so I will probably be ending this story within the next 10 chapters. The wedding will probably take place at the beginning of the next story.**

**Thank you all SO much for your continued reviews and support; I can't tell you how much they mean to me and how much they encourage me! Happy Reading! ~MrsJaydeMalfoy**


	29. Chapter 29 St Mungo's Again

I see a look of horror cross Narcissa's face as she realizes that nobody's informed Draco that I'm in labor. Though I know that I could tell him with my mind, I honestly haven't thought about it before now in all the rushing and panicking. And honestly, any talking I'd do right now would probably only terrify Draco; I'm not sure I could talk to him without the panic being evident in my voice at this point. Before Narcissa can even open her mouth to suggest a solution to our problem, however, one of the healers solves the problem for us.

Apparently knowing who Draco is, she turns to another healer, who I assume to be the youngest and least experienced of the group based on her looks, and immediately commands, "Go to the Ministry and get Mr. Malfoy!" Nodding her head in silent agreement, the young healer doesn't speak but immediately runs from the room, allowing the door to close behind her.

What seems like only milliseconds later, Mrs. Taylor bursts through the door with a frantic look on her face as well. She doesn't even stop to assess the situation; she immediately yells, "She needs a dose of Dolotentia NOW!"

"But that's so strong, Mrs. Taylor!" one of the healers cries.

"DO AS I SAY!" Mrs. Taylor yells, "SHE'S A NIMBIMAGUS!"

"Right!" the healer responds. "Well, you heard her!" she cries to another healer, "Get the dolotentia!"

Mrs. Taylor immediately begins donning gloves and a healer's gown while the other healers scurry about, one of them bringing me a vial of an orange potion. Before she can press the vial to my lips, however, I scream in agony as another cramp… well, I suppose it's actually a _contraction_, hits me full-force. The healer jerks the vial away from me hastily and Mrs. Taylor gives me a frightened and concerned look as I scream, probably because my eyes are beginning to mist over with that white, fog-like look they get when I use my powers. In fact, that's probably why the healer with the potion jerked away from me so suddenly.

I nearly squeeze all the blood out of Narcissa's hand as I scream, but she doesn't flinch, and seconds later, the contraction is over. Finally finished donning the proper attire, Mrs. Taylor rushes towards me and has a seat on a stool at the end of the delivery table, lifting the edge of my gown and examining me. "Merlin!" she exclaims. "Jayde, when did this start?"

"Early this morning!" I reply through tears, "I thought it was just more false contractions, so I ignored them!"

"Well it's too late now," she says, "but you should've come _straight _to me right then; it's already time to push!"

"NO!" I scream loudly, nearly coming off the table. "NOT WITHOUT DRACO!"

"Jayde," Mrs. Taylor replies, trying to soothe me, "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way dear; we can't wait for Draco, it's time… now."

"NO!" I scream again. Narcissa steps in to help Mrs. Taylor and tries to cure me of my stubbornness as well.

"Jayde," she says, "Draco's already on his way, he'll be here before the baby's born, I promise. But you _have _to push now."

"No, Narcissa!" I reply, tears flowing from my eyes like rain as I turn my head to the right to look at her. "I can't! I won't! I want Draco _here _when our baby is born; I can't do this without him!"

"Yes, you can…" Narcissa begins, but she's cut off as another contraction strikes me, causing me to scream again. This time, instead of just screaming pointlessly, however, I scream Draco's name, both externally and internally.

"Merlin! What's taking him so long?" one of the healers asks once I've stopped screaming. Almost immediately after she finishes speaking, the door to the delivery room opens and the young healer from before steps aside to reveal Draco, who's right behind her. He immediately rushes into the room and to my side, looking quite flustered.

"It's okay love," he says soothingly, taking my hand and brushing my hair out of my face. "I'm here."

"What the hell took you so long?" I ask irritably.

"It was just a simple mix-up," Draco explains, not allowing my hot-temperedness to upset him. "The healer who went to the Ministry mistakenly told my father _his _wife was in labor."

Several of the healers in the room turn to look at the young witch who made the mistake, and she blushes violently, looking away. Not paying this any mind, however, Mrs. Taylor jumps back in control of the situation. "All right! Everyone but myself, Rose, Amy, Narcissa, and Draco – OUT!"

Immediately, everyone but the aforementioned healers and Narcissa and Draco rushes out of the room. Before they can even close the door, another contraction hits, sending me into a screaming fit again. Once it's over I begin trying to slow my breathing. Though Narcissa keeps muttering words of comfort, Draco falls silent. Looking to the left with wide eyes, I look up at Draco, who's now the palest I've ever seen him. His face is frozen into an expression of fear, and his skin has gone _completely _white. He's staring down at me, but I can tell his eyes aren't registering what he's seeing.

"Draco?" I gasp out between breaths. This, however, doesn't faze him. When the next contraction hits a moment later, however, I squeeze his hand tightly as I scream, and this seems to pull him out of whatever daze he's been in.

"MERLIN!" he screams at the healers, "CAN'T YOU GIVE HER SOMETHING FOR THE PAIN? HER EYES ARE GOING WHITE!"

"We all ready did!" one of the healers replies as I stop screaming.

"No, you didn't!" Narcissa interjects, "One of the other healers was about to, but Jayde had a contraction and she walked away!"

"GIVE HER SOMETHING, NOW!" Draco yells, looking livid, "I CAN'T _STAND _TO HEAR HER SCREAMING LIKE THAT; I CAN'T TAKE IT!"

Looking flustered and slightly embarrassed, the healer immediately grabs another vial of the orange potion from before and rushes to my side. "GIVE ME THAT!" Draco yells, snatching the vial from her. "AT LEAST _I'LL _MAKE SURE SHE GETS IT!" The healer's face immediately turns to a scowl and she looks as though she wants to say something, but Mrs. Taylor quickly calls her away from the delivery table. "Here, baby, drink this," Draco says, lowering his voice and trying to soothe me. I lean up and open my mouth, and Draco pours the potion down my throat. After I've emptied the vial, he tosses it behind him, not caring where it lands or if it breaks.

I begin to feel a sense of relief sweep over me; the potion seems to be working. Don't get me wrong, the pain isn't gone by _any _means, but it's less severe than before, and I feel a bit more 'in control' of myself and my powers. "Right then," Mrs. Taylor says, "it's time to push. We're going to count to three…"

Mrs. Taylor is interrupted when the delivery room door opens again, revealing the same young healer from before. "WHAT ON EARTH?" Mrs. Taylor screams, clearly frustrated.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Taylor," the young girl begins, "but there's a woman out here who's threatening to curse us all if we don't let her in to see Miss Newsome. She says her name is McGreggor."

I gasp loudly and stare up at Draco; I'd forgotten all about sending someone to fetch Mrs. McGreggor. "How did she know?" I ask him.

"I sent my father for her; I knew you'd want her here," he replies.

"Oh, thank you SO much!" I reply happily, leaning up and giving Draco a quick kiss.

"Jayde, I'm afraid you can't have more than two people in here at once during labor, besides myself and the other healers," Mrs. Taylor says quickly, interrupting mine and Draco's kiss. "After the baby's born, you can have as many visitors as you like, but not a moment before." Horrified, I turn to stare at her with a pleading expression on my face. I can tell by the look she's giving me, however, that my pleading won't work.

"I'll go," Narcissa says sweetly. "I know you want her with you." My heart nearly breaking, I turn to look at Narcissa with what I mean to be both an apologetic and thankful look.

"Oh, Narcissa!" I reply, "I want you in here too!"

"Nonsense!" she says, "Mrs. McGreggor's been with you since you were a child – she _deserves _to be in here." At this, Narcissa releases my hand and gets to her feet, kissing me on the forehead. "You'll do well dear, I _know _it," she says comfortingly.

"Thank you," I whisper in response through tears. Turning and walking away from the table, Narcissa begins making her way across the room towards the door. Just before she exits the room, she turns and speaks to Draco. "Take care of her, son," she says meaningfully. Draco nods his head in response, and he and I watch as his mother leaves the room.

What seems like only two seconds later, Mrs. McGreggor comes bursting through the door, looking quite disheveled. "Oh, Jayde!" she cries, rushing to my side. She immediately assumes Narcissa's position and takes my hand, and I lean towards her and sob onto her shoulder for a moment.

"I'm so _frightened!"_ I whisper in her ear; I try to say it quietly enough that Draco won't hear me… I don't want him to know I'm scared. Mrs. McGreggor soothes me as best she can and then reminds me that I should turn my attention back to Mrs. Taylor, who's waiting with a very stern look upon her face.

"Right. Now. If there are no more _interruptions_," she says, "you're going to push on the count of three. One. Two. Three."

As soon as Mrs. Taylor says "three", I sit up and push with all my might, screaming the whole while. Draco and Mrs. McGreggor both allow me to squeeze their hands and coach me along, and when I can push no more I fall back against the pillows forcefully, sweat all ready building up on my forehead and brow. Draco helps me calm my breathing with the exercises Mrs. Taylor taught us, and what seems like a very short time later Mrs. Taylor says it's time to push again. I roll my eyes and can't help but think, _Already? _

Mrs. Taylor counts to three again, and the pushing begins again. When it has ended this time, Draco helps me clam my breathing once more. "Are you all right, love?" he asks me. Though I know Draco's only trying to express his concern, in my irritated and painful state I can't help but think that he's just asked a stupid question.

"Oh, I'm fine!" I reply sarcastically through labored breaths, rolling my eyes. "It just feels like I'm being TORN APART FROM THE INSIDE OUT, but otherwise, I'm fine!"

Instead of responding to me after my outburst, Draco speaks to Mrs. Taylor. "Why is she still hurting?" he asks her angrily.

"Draco, the potion _can't _take _all_ the pain away; if I gave her something any stronger, it'd almost certainly harm the child." Silenced by Mrs. Taylor's statement, Draco begins trying to soothe me once more. A few moments later Mrs. Taylor has me push again, and when this time ends she informs me that we're almost done. I, however, have had enough of the pushing.

"I can't push again!" I exclaim. Draco and Mrs. McGreggor try to soothe me, but I continue to cry. "I can't do this, Draco!" I sob, looking up at him pleadingly.

Tears in his eyes, Draco reassures me. "Yes, you can, love!" he says. "It's almost over; _our baby is almost here! _And it's going to be the most _spoiled child_ anyone's _ever_ seen. And I'm going to love it, _and its mother_, until the day I die." Draco kisses my hand softly and I smile up at him in response.

_He's right_, I think to myself, _I can do this! _

"Now, darling," Draco continues, "aren't you ready to meet our little bean?"

Smiling even more at Draco's use of the nickname he's given our baby, I nod my head in response before facing Mrs. Taylor again, who is smiling from ear to ear. "Let's do this," I say determinedly. I take deep breaths as Mrs. Taylor counts to three, and I once again sit up and push with every bit of strength I have as Draco and Mrs. McGreggor coach me on. I flop back onto the pillows once the pushing has ended, and Draco starts trying to help me control my breathing again.

I begin to sincerely hope that it's over so I don't have to push again, and then I hear something that eases my fears and removes all other thoughts from my mind. There's a popping noise, and then I hear it; the sound of mine and Draco's child crying. The sound completely knocks the breath out of me; I gasp and my eyes widen as I continue to listen to the hypnotizing sound. There's a hushed, reverent silence around the room; the only sounds that can be heard are the baby's continued cries, and my still-labored breathing.

Slowly, I look to the left at Draco, who seems just as awed by the sound of our child crying as I am. He smiles down at me, lovingly and tenderly, and leans down and kisses my forehead. Then he and I both turn our gaze to the end of the delivery table, where we see Mrs. Taylor and the other healers busying about and flicking their wands; I assume they're cleaning the baby and cutting the umbilical cord. Mrs. Taylor looks up at me and tells me I've done well, as does Mrs. McGreggor. Then Mrs. Taylor leans down and scoops something up into her arms, and she slowly and carefully stands, revealing a bundle wrapped in a small white sheet. Draco and I stare up at the small bundle, completely mesmerized, and Mrs. Taylor shushes the baby before looking up at us and smiling once more.

"Congratulations," she says happily as she walks slowly towards us, with our baby in her arms.

* * *

By the time Mrs. Taylor has reached the head of the delivery table, Draco, Mrs. McGreggor and I are all in tears, Mrs. McGreggor and myself a little more so than Draco. I'm so dumbfounded and awe-struck as I stare up at the baby that I completely forget to extend my arms so Mrs. Taylor can hand the infant to me; she has to playfully ask me whether I want to hold my child or not.

Laughing through the tears, I nod my head in agreement and extend my arms, and Draco, Mrs. McGreggor and I watch with amazement as Mrs. Taylor leans down and eases the crying white bundle into my arms. I can't help but think that I've been waiting for this moment for almost _nine months _as I eagerly pull the baby into my arms and closer to me, ready to meet my little one.

As I gaze into my child's face for the first time, however, I feel not only a sense of joy, but of horror as well. Don't get me wrong, the baby is _absolutely _the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. And it's _perfectly _healthy; it isn't… _deformed… _or anything, but I find myself unable to focus on its traits. What attracts my attention and horrifies me about the baby's face are its eyes… they're _solid white; the baby's a Nimbimagus! _And in my opinion, that's _not _a good thing.

Though I knew deep down that this was a possibility because _I'm _a Nimbimagus, the thought that my child would actually receive the trait had never occurred to me; it takes me by complete surprise. My eyes widen and my mouth drops open, and Draco immediately asks what's wrong. "Oh Draco! _Its eyes!" _I exclaim in dismay.

"They're white," Draco replies happily, "which means that not only is our child a wizard, it's also a Nimbimagus, just like its mother." At this, he leans down and kisses my forehead again, but when he notices that his words haven't soothed me, he speaks again. "What's wrong, love?" he asks, "Why does it upset you that you passed your gift on to our child?"

"_Gift?" _I ask incredulously as I turn to look up at him. "Draco, this isn't a _gift!" _I continue, "It's a _curse! _Our child will never have friends… everyone will treat it like a _freak! _It'll spend its whole life trying to learn to control its emotions so it doesn't cause storms… _I don't want our child to have to struggle with this the way I did!" _

Now understanding what's got me so worried and upset, Draco tries to calm my fears. _"_Darling, it _won't_," Draco says soothingly, "because our child will have something you didn't."

"What's that?" I ask suspiciously, still looking up at him. "It'll have its mother, loving and supporting it every day; _you'll _be there to teach our little one how to control its emotions. And it'll have its father; _I'll _be there to love and support the _both _of you, _every day. I'll_ teach the little one how to use its powers to get what it wants."

I gasp and stare at Draco, dumbfounded. "Draco!" I exclaim. I watch as a huge smile spreads across Draco's face when I say this.

"I'm only joking, love," he says sweetly, kissing me on the cheek. "I was only trying to cheer you up… I don't want you worrying your pretty little head over _anything_. _Especially _not today… our child was just born; we just brought a life into the world! This is one of the happiest days of our lives! So _stop _worrying; everything will be _just fine!" _

I feel a sense of calm sweep over me at Draco's words, and suddenly my heart feels as though it's about to explode with emotion. "He's right you know," Mrs. Taylor says kindly. Her words remind me of her presence; I'd all but forgotten that she and Mrs. McGreggor have been right here the whole time, listening to mine and Draco's conversation. I quickly glance up at Mrs. Taylor and give her a smile before returning my gaze to Draco.

"You're right… as usual," I say sweetly. "You always know how to calm my fears and make me feel better. Thank you."

"No, thank _you_," Draco replies, nodding towards our infant as an indication of what he's thanking me for.

My attention suddenly drawn back to the crying newborn in my arms, I ignore its eyes this time and take in my child's appearance. Its skin is a pale white, with a slight twinge of pink caused by the fact that it's crying. One of the other healers in the room steps forward with a pacifier, which she hands to me as a means of quieting the child. I slip the pacifier into the baby's mouth, and it falls into silence almost immediately as it begins to suck. I rub the side of its face with my forefinger gently as I continue to admire and fall in love with my child, amazed by each movement it makes. A few strands of platinum hair cover its head; just _one _of the _many _features that resemble Draco almost identically.

"Well, if there were any question before, there _certainly _isn't a question now as to who the baby's father is," Mrs. McGreggor says in an astonished voice. Draco and I laugh in response.

"It looks _just like you_," I say quietly, turning to look up at Draco, who is looking down at the baby and beaming with pride. "Do you want to hold the baby?" I ask him quietly. Draco looks over at me and bites his lip nervously, but nods his head all the same. Smiling from ear to ear, I slowly raise and twist my arms, lifting our little bundle of joy into its father's open and waiting arms, which are trembling slightly with excitement and nervousness. My heart gives a great, involuntary swell as Draco takes the child into his arms, and I'm completely smitten by the sight of Draco holding our child for the first time.

Tears approach the corners of my eyes once more, and a few silent drops roll down my cheeks. I hear sniffling around the room and turn to find that everyone else is crying silently as well, even the healers I don't know. I return my gaze to Draco to find that he, too, has tears rolling down his cheeks as he continues to stare down into our child's face. In fact, Draco is crying harder than I am; a stream of tears flows steadily from his eyes. A reverent silence falls upon the room once more, only occasionally interrupted by the sound of someone sniffling, as myself and everyone else in the room continues to watch Draco enjoying his first few moments as a father. Finally, Draco breaks the silence.

"Hi there, bean," hesays quietly to the baby, causing my mouth to turn upwards into a huge smile. Noticing my smile, Draco tears his eyes away from the baby and stares down at me, instead. "You're _so _amazing," he says meaningfully, "I love you _so much." _

"I love you, too," I reply quietly.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you," Draco continues, still crying. "You're the most beautiful woman in the whole world, and sometimes I wonder how I got lucky enough to get you… you're an absolute _angel_. You give me _so much_; _your love _is the air I breathe in every day_… _it makes me feel _alive_. And just when I think there's nothing you could do to make me any happier than you all ready do, you give me _this_."

As he says '_this_', Draco nods his head towards the white bundle in his arms, indicating our child. I bite my lower lip in an effort to prevent myself from bawling like a two-year-old, and Draco continues. Instead of speaking out loud, however, he speaks to me with his mind.

"You didn't even _choose _to sleep with me _or _get pregnant," he says, "my parents forced you into both at only seventeen years old. And even though it frightened you… even though you knew it'd be _pure hell _on you, you refused to give up. Anyone else would have turned away – not that I wanted anyone else, because I don't; I never have, and I never will. You didn't _have _to have this child… you could have easily walked away from me had an abortion and forgotten all about that night nine months ago, but you _chose _not to. Even _after _you found out it was my parents who jinxed us, you stuck with me… and you're even going to marry me. I used to _hate_ my parents for what they did… but I see now that it all worked out for the best. Even though I am still a little angry with them, I can't imagine my life without the two of you."

"Aww, Draco, not having the baby _wasn't _an option… I love you too much! And there's no need to be embarrassed; you could have said that out loud." I reply internally.

"I'm not embarrassed about what my parents did," Draco replies, "I have no reason to be. I only said that through our bond because I know Mrs. McGreggor still doesn't know that it was my parents who cursed us; I figured she might through a right fit if she found out, and we don't want that today."

I gasp both internally and externally as the meaning of Draco's words strikes me. He's _absolutely _right, in all the excitement I'd completely forgotten that I never told Mrs. McGreggor that it was Lucius and Narcissa who forced Draco and I to sleep together. She knew _someone _had forced us, but she didn't know _who. _And I wasn't about to tell her because I knew she'd be _furious _at my future mother- and-father-in-law. "Thank you _so much _for sparing us _that _problem today," I reply to Draco through my mind, "I didn't even realize."

"Not a problem dear. I suppose we'd better talk out loud now, though; Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. McGreggor are giving us strange looks."

"Okay," I reply with a nod of my head, casting a glance at Mrs. Taylor, who is indeed eyeing me suspiciously.

"Just one more thing," Draco says internally, drawing my attention back to him. "I know we haven't talked about this or anything… but I thought you might like it if we asked Mrs. McGreggor to be the baby's Godmother."

I once again gasp at Draco's sweet gesture, and at his thoughtfulness. This is _something else _I hadn't even thought of. "Oh, Draco… are you sure?" I ask.

"Absolutely," he replies, smiling slightly.

"Oh, this means _so _much to me! She's like family to me!" I reply.

"I know dear," he says, "I know it means a lot to you, but I'll bet it will mean _even more _to her. Why don't you go ahead and ask her?"

Not even hesitating for a second, I quickly whip my head around to face Mrs. McGreggor, who seems a bit startled. "Mrs. McGreggor," I begin, speaking out loud for the first time in several minutes, "Draco and I were just wondering if… if you'd like to be the baby's Godmother."

I watch with delight as Mrs. McGreggor's familiar face turns to an expression of shock and sheer joy; I can tell she feels honored and very flustered at the thought. "I… um… why… yes! Of course!" she exclaims happily. She reaches forward and pulls me into a monstrous hug from which we don't release each other for a long time. When we finally _do _release each other_, _I look back over at Draco, who has apparently not finished saying all the sweet things he's got on his mind.

"This is the most _precious _gift _any _woman could ever give a man…" he says quietly, "a gift of flesh and bone that it took you _nine grueling months_ to make. You went through _hell_ just now to give me a child - a living, breathing union of our two bodies and a representation of our love that the whole world can see… just because you love me. I am the luckiest, most loved, _and happiest _man alive… thanks to you."

At this, I am no longer able to prevent myself from sobbing uncontrollably. "No, Draco, _I'm _the lucky one," I reply through sobs. "The baby wasn't _my _gift to _you; _it was _your _gift to _me… _allowing me the honor of having your child. You're _so _good to me… you love me _so _much, and you do _everything _for me… and now you've given me something I've never had before; a family."

"That's right, love," Draco says sweetly, "we're a _family _now. You, me, and our daughter… or… son." Both mine and Draco's eyebrows furrow at this statement; we've both just realized something we hadn't until now. "Wait…" Draco says suspiciously, turning to Mrs. Taylor, "is this our _son, _or our _daughter?" _I look over at Mrs. Taylor as I wait for her answer, blushing slightly. I realize now that Draco and I were _so_ excited about the baby finally being here and caught up in this beautiful moment that we haven't even found out if our baby is a boy or a girl yet.

Chuckling slightly, Mrs. Taylor replies. "I was going to make you wait to find out… I was surprised you didn't pull down the blanket to see for yourselves! I'll say this; no matter _what _the baby's sex is, you two are going to be _amazing _parents; you don't even know your little one's name yet, and you both all ready love it to pieces. You two have been waiting long enough… it's about time you found out the sex!"

* * *

**Author's Note: I know, I'm evil for ending it here! I'm sorry! But I promise you'll find out the sex in the next chapter! I know this was a bit of a long, and tear-jerking chapter, and I know there was _lots _of fluffiness, but hey, their child was just born! That _required _a bit of fluffy mushy-ness! I really hope you enjoyed it! _Please _review!**


	30. Chapter 30 The Proudest Grandparents

After finding out the sex of our baby, Draco and I spend a few moments discussing names. Though we've all ready picked several that we like over the last few months, we haven't _entirely _decided. We ask Mrs. McGreggor for her input, as she's the baby's Godmother.

Finally, we come to an agreement on the baby's name. Once we've done so, Draco wants to bring his parents in, but Mrs. Taylor says there are still a few things that need to be done before that can happen. She returns to the foot of the delivery table, where she once again lifts my gown. Wand in hand, she performs a spell, ridding me of what she refers to as the 'afterbirth'. This feels a bit uncomfortable and awkward, and I wince as Mrs. Taylor does what she's described. My wincing causes Draco to eye me with concern, and he immediately asks Mrs. McGreggor to hold the baby so that he can hold my hand and comfort me.

Next Mrs. Taylor performs some sort of healing spell, which once again causes me to wince in discomfort. Draco allows me to squeeze his hand tightly and soothes me the whole while. Once that awkward and uncomfortable situation is over, Mrs. Taylor has Draco help me sit up while she uses her wand to clean up. As soon as I'm in an upright position with my back propped up on several pillows, she sends one of the other healers over to help me straighten the matted mess that has become my hair; an effect of the massive amount of sweating I was doing earlier while in labor.

The healer dabs my forehead with a damp cloth and combs my hair gently; she says this is so I'll look presentable when any visitors come into the room. Though I'm grateful for the gesture, I honestly _don't care _about my appearance at the present; I just _gave birth… nobody _has _any right_ to complain about how I look, in my opinion.

As soon as all that is settled, I look over to my right to see Mrs. McGreggor holding and cooing over her godchild with tears in her eyes. I open my mouth to speak to her, but before I can do so, Mrs. Taylor speaks. "Draco, if you'd like, you can go and get your parents now," she says as she finishes clearing away all the labor and delivery items.

Draco nods his head with both excitement and nervousness. "I'll be right back dear," he tells me, his emotions just as evident in his voice. I nod my head in agreement and watch as he makes his way to the delivery room door. Before he can reach it, however, Mrs. McGreggor gets to her feet with the baby still in her arms.

"Jayde, I think _you _should be holding the little one when Lucius and Narcissa come in," she says with a smile.

"Okay," I reply before extending my arms to take the child from her. By the time I've got the baby wrapped in my arms and snuggled up against me, Draco's got the door open and is speaking to his parents, who have apparently been waiting just outside the delivery room.

"Mum, Dad," he says quietly, "could you come in here for a moment? There's someone Jayde and I would like you to meet." As soon as the words leave Draco's mouth, I hear his mother gasp and start sobbing. I hear Lucius trying to soothe her to the best of his ability, and I watch as Draco turns and walks back across the room, coming to stand at my side while we wait for his parents to arrive. He smiles down at me and the baby and wraps his right arm around my shoulder before looking up to watch as Lucius and Narcissa open the delivery room door, arm in arm, and step inside.

The both of them immediately look up at the bed, and their eyes hone in on my arms and the white bundled up blanket resting there. Lucius is beaming with pride and looking rather curious, Narcissa is sobbing uncontrollably. I smile up at them even though I know they're not looking at me, and I then return my gaze to the baby as well. Through my peripheral vision I see Lucius slowly guiding Narcissa forward, towards the edge of the bed. I look up and watch as the couple approaches, and when they've gotten as close as they possibly can and have stopped walking, I speak.

"Lucius, Narcissa," I say quietly, "we'd like you to meet your grandson; Draco Skylar Malfoy. We're going to call him by his middle name; Skylar."

At this, Narcissa's eyes widen and she exclaims, "A boy!" before placing her hand over her mouth, still crying the whole while. Lucius, however, falls into silence. As I look up at him to gauge his reaction to the news, I find that there are tears quickly building up in the corners of his eyes, which are sure to overflow any second now.

"Father," Draco asks quietly, "would you like to hold him?" Lucius looks over at Draco for a moment, searching for the correct words to reply. When he finds himself unable to speak, however, he simply nods his head in agreement. At this, I lean to the left slightly as Draco extends his arms to take Skylar from me. Draco eases the baby into his arms before taking a few, careful steps forward to lay Skylar in his grandfather's waiting arms.

Tears slowly begin to make their way down Lucius' cheeks as he looks down at his grandson for the first time, and Narcissa presses up onto her toes and places a hand on her husband's shoulder to get a better look. "Oh, Draco!" she exclaims, "He looks _just like _you!" Draco and I simply smile in response. "Oh, I think I'm going to call him 'Sky'!" Narcissa continues, "Grandma's little 'Sky'!"

"Oh no!" I say playfully to nobody in particular, "He's all ready got _two _nicknames, and he wasn't even born an hour ago!"

"Really? What's the other nickname?" Narcissa asks excitedly as she wipes tears away from her eyes.

"I'm still going to call him 'Bean'," Draco answers for me.

"Oh, how sweet!" Narcissa replies happily. I'm thoroughly surprised Narcissa's response; in all honesty, Draco and I had halfway expected her to complain that we didn't name the baby 'Scorpius' as she suggested. "Skylar-bean! Isn't that precious, Lucius?" she asks her husband, who is still staring down at the child in silence.

Lucius appears not to have heard her, for he doesn't answer. Instead, he immediately turns to his left, handing Skylar to Narcissa, who squeals with delight as she takes the infant into her arms. Lucius then steps forward and pulls Draco into a firm embrace, taking everyone in the room, including Draco, by surprise. Draco stands there dumbfounded for a moment before slowly reaching his arms around his father and returning his embrace. I start crying all over again and Lucius' display of affection for his son; I have _never _seen him do something like this and I know it must mean a _lot _to Draco. The two men release each other only a few seconds later; Draco looks like he's in shock while Lucius looks a bit embarrassed. Apparently trying to ease the uncomfortable situation he's found himself in, Lucius immediately stiffens his shoulders and takes a deep breath in.

"I'm going to the Manor, to make sure the builders get started on Skylar's room," he announces, "I want it to be ready for him when he gets home, and you know without supervision those idiots are bound to get something wrong." Though I can tell he's _trying_ to sound unaffected, his voice trembles a couple of times while he's speaking, and his facial expression is giving him away; he's wearing the largest smile I've ever seen. At this, Narcissa finally tears her eyes away from the infant in her arms and gives her husband a knowing look, smiling at him sweetly.

"Are you sure you don't want to hold him again before you leave, dear?" she asks.

"No, I'll hold him when he and Jayde get home," Lucius replies immediately. "Right now there's work to be done, dear, surely you understand. I don't want our grandson going home and his room not being ready, do you?"

"No, you're absolutely right," Narcissa says matter-of-factly, "go ahead home dear; you can come back once the work's finished. You _do_ remember which designs Draco and Jayde picked out for the nursey, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Narcissa," Lucius replies before giving his wife a kiss on the cheek... I can't help but notice that his eyes drift down to Skylar as he does so. "I'll be back shortly," Lucius states once he's finished kissing Narcissa and stealing glances at the baby. And with that, he turns and walks out of the room without another word.

"Oh, he's turned into a big softie all ready!" Narcissa exclaims once the door has closed behind him. "Not even a grandfather for thirty minutes and he's turned to mush!"

Draco snorts at his mother's statement. "He acted like it was physically hurting him to hug me! You call _that _mush?" he asks her with a laugh.

"For your father? Yes," she replies immediately. "He has a hard time expressing his emotions, son, you know that. His father taught him emotions made you weak, just like _he _taught _you_… _that's _why he's gone right now; he didn't want you to see him at his moment of 'weakness'."

"So have _you _seen him at a moment of weakness, then?" Draco asks.

"Of course I have," Narcissa replies, "I'm his wife. And it's the same with you and Jayde… _nobody _has seen your deepest feelings and fears like _she _has. To the world, you're cruel, hard-hearted and emotionless… but when it comes to _Jayde_… well, why don't we ask her? Jayde, describe for us how _you _see Draco."

I'm unsure if I want to be pulled into this discussion, but I decide to answer Narcissa's question nonetheless. I look up at Draco and smile as he looks down at me, eagerly awaiting my response. "He's absolutely amazing," I say, looking him directly in the eyes. "He's sweet, caring, loving, compassionate, _handsome_, thoughtful, protective…"

Though I could keep going on like this, Draco interrupts me. "And I'll _always _act that way towards you, darling," he says sweetly, placing a hand on my chin, "you're my heart. But I think you should stop complimenting me now… you're making me blush." I giggle at Draco's statement and watch as he chuckles in response, and then he leans down and presses his lips to mine softly. Our kiss starts out simple enough, but it quickly escalates, fueled by our excitement at our baby's arrival and our love for one another, which we've constantly been reminding each other of today.

Everything else in the room seems to disappear as Draco and I continue to kiss; it's like we're the only two people on the planet. A few moments later, however, Mrs. Taylor feels the need to interrupt, speaking for the first time since Narcissa and Lucius entered the room earlier. "All right you two!" she says half-sternly and half-playfully, "None of that for six weeks!"

I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment as I remember there are people watching us, but I can't help but burst out laughing as I pull away from the kiss, and Draco laughs right along with me. Then he says "Damn!" just loudly enough for me to hear it, barely louder than a whisper, causing me to giggle once more. We look deep into each other's eyes for a moment as though we're sharing a private joke, both of us knowing and understanding what Draco meant by that. As we continue to gaze at each other happily, I see a look of confusion spread across Draco's face. He immediately looks away from me and up at Mrs. Taylor, posing the question he's just thought of. "Wait a moment," he says slowly, "when _can _Jayde and Skylar go home?"

I honestly hadn't thought of asking this question, but now that Draco mentions it, I'm curious as well. I turn to look at Mrs. Taylor as well, anxiously awaiting her response. She gives both Draco and I a quick smile and then says "First thing in the morning, dears."

"Okay, good," Draco says, leaning down and kissing me on the forehead sweetly. Having answered Draco's question, Mrs. Taylor excuses herself from the room for a moment, and comes back in a few moments later with her arms full of strange-looking items.

"Narcissa," she says politely, "I'm going to have to ask you to give Skylar to Jayde now; I've got to get his measurements, weight, and finger prints." Nodding her head in agreement, Narcissa immediately obeys, slowly making her way to the side of my bed. I lift my arms excitedly and she carefully eases Skylar back into my arms. As I look down at my son again, I'm pleased to find that, as he's no longer crying, his eyes aren't solid white anymore; they're a rich, royal blue color… _just like mine. _He stares up at me with those beautiful blue eyes, and my heart nearly melts as I look down into them; I find myself on the verge of tears once more.

_"_Well look at that!" Draco says as he leans down and wraps his arm around me as he, too notices our son's changed eye color. "He's got his mother's _beautiful _eyes," he continues. This causes me to look up at him and smile once more; it seems like all Draco and I are doing today is smiling and staring at both each other and our son.

"All right," Mrs. Taylor playfully interrupts again, "that's enough flirting!" Draco and I burst out laughing and blush violently once more as Mrs. Taylor crosses the room towards us, several different instruments in her hands. When she reaches the bed, she places the items to the side and reaches first for a tape measure. She flicks her wand and the tape measure immediately gets to work, taking Skylar's first measurements. I hold Skylar still while the tape measure twists and turns, measuring the baby's length, width, and even the circumference of his head. The movements seem to make Skylar uncomfortable, but he doesn't cry; he simply stares up at me as though studying my face, trying to take in every detail.

Mrs. Taylor watches as the measuring tape continues to writhe around my son, and after each measurement is taken she calls them out to the other healer in the room, who has a quill and parchment in her hand waiting to write down the measurements. Once the tape measure has finished, Mrs. Taylor slowly leans down and eases Skylar out of my arms before crossing the room to a table at the back and laying him on a small scale to get his weight. She calls out his weight to the other healer as well, so that it can be recorded, and then moves him a little further down on the table. Draco, Narcissa, Mrs. McGreggor and I watch as the other healer runs over with a piece of paper and Mrs. Taylor takes a small ink pad out of a drawer before pressing Skylar's left thumb into the ink.

While the other healer holds up the paper, Mrs. Taylor presses Skylar's thumb against it, creating the tiniest of impressions. This same process continues for several moments until Mrs. Taylor and her helper have captured all of Skylar's fingerprints and even a print of each hand, and then Mrs. Taylor places the baby's feet in the ink as well, before pressing them against the paper, too. Once finished with that, Mrs. Taylor flicks her wand, using a cleaning spell to get all the ink off Skylar's fingers, hands, feet, and toes. Then she picks him up again and walks back over to the bed I'm lying in, gently returning the baby to my arms. "You two have a strong, perfectly healthy baby boy," she says reassuringly, "and I think it's about time you fed him for the first time."

Narcissa squeals and claps her hands at this announcement, and though I find her reaction a bit silly, I can't help but feel excited about feeding little Skylar. Mrs. Taylor sends the other healer off to fetch a bottle and formula, and busies herself by cleaning off the table she just used to get Skylar's fingerprints while we wait. As we sit there in silence waiting for the young healer to return, Mrs. McGreggor asks me a question; one I honestly haven't thought about before now.

"So Jayde," she begins, causing me to turn my head to the right and look at her, "what made you decide not to breastfeed?"

My eyebrows furrow at the question, and I reply honestly. "Well, Draco and I actually haven't talked about that Mrs. McGreggor," I answer. Then I immediately turn to the left to look up at Draco, who can see the question etched upon my face.

"What do you think dear?" he asks quietly, "Do you _want _to breastfeed?" I consider this for a moment, but before I can answer, Narcissa interrupts.

"Of course she doesn't!" she says incredulously, "Why on Earth _would _she want to breastfeed?" At this, I hear a huff on my right that lets me know Mrs. McGreggor isn't too thrilled with what Narcissa's just said.

"Maybe she'd want to breastfeed because it gives more health benefits than formula alone," Mrs. McGreggor says, causing everyone in the room to turn to look at her.

"Really?" I ask; I most certainly didn't know that… I must have missed that part in my pregnancy pamphlets.

"Yes, dear," Mrs. McGreggor replies quietly, "and that's not all. There's something special about feeding your child from your own bosom; it's a beautiful thing. I'm not trying to tell you what to do; I just want you to consider all your options."

At this, Narcissa scoffs loudly, and I sincerely hope this isn't about to turn into World War III between my son's Grandmother and Godmother. I, personally, don't have any idea yet as to whether or not I want to breastfeed, but it would be nice to be able to make that decision _for myself_ without someone constantly scoffing or discrediting other peoples' ideas. I seriously begin to wonder if this is the first of many disagreements Narcissa will have with either me or Mrs. McGreggor about how Skylar should be raised. Sure, right now her reaction is small enough, as is the situation, but will these small situations and arguments turn into huge ones when Skylar gets older? What about when he's seventeen? Will Narcissa argue with me about whether or not to teach him how to use the unforgiveable curses? This thought thoroughly frightens me, and I look down at my son apprehensively. I realize I'm probably exaggerating the situation a bit, and if I had the nerve I'd probably speak up about my concerns to Narcissa right now, just to clear the air. I feel that this move, however, would only cause unnecessary strife between us on what's meant to be a happy day, and I certainly don't want to ruin the mood with my paranoia.

To my surprise, however, Draco is also upset about his mother's behavior, and he steps in and saves the day. "Mother," he says calmly, but firmly, "Jayde and I appreciate your opinion and your willingness to help, but when it comes down to it, _we're _Skylar's parents; it's up to _Jayde and I _to decide how to raise him. Whatever decision we make is just that; _our _decision."

Though my eyes widen at Draco's statement, my heart also swells with love for him as I look up at him. Here he is, standing up to his own mother, for me. Don't get me wrong; I love Narcissa and don't want her and Draco to fight, but sometimes she _can _be a _little_ pushy with her ideas and opinions. It makes me feel good to know that Draco and I are always of one mind about things. We're a couple, but we act as a unit… whatever decisions we make will be made together, and Draco will stand behind me one-hundred percent, no matter _who _I'm up against.

Though I feel what Draco said _needed _to be said, I'm now afraid of the backlash. I risk a sideways glance over at Narcissa, who is clearly angry and hurt. She opens her mouth as though she wants to say something, but before she can, Mrs. Taylor interrupts. "I think I can help," she says loudly, causing all eyes in the room to automatically drift to her. Once she's sure she has everyone's attention, she continues. "Jayde, dear," she says, looking me directly in the eyes, "I'm afraid you _can't _breastfeed."

Through my peripheral vision, I can't help but notice that a smirk crosses Narcissa's face when Mrs. Taylor says this, but I ignore it as best I can. "It's because of my powers, isn't it?" I ask.

"No, not directly," Mrs. Taylor replies, "it's actually about the Nimbimagus potion. It's true, as Mrs. McGreggor said, that breastfeeding _does _provide the child with extra nutrients and health benefits. But because you have to take the Nimbimagus potion daily, that would also be passed to Skylar in the exact same way, and I'm afraid that potion is much too strong for a child his age and size."

What Mrs. Taylor's said makes sense, and I nod my head in agreement. "Well, thank Merlin that's settled!" Narcissa says a little _too _cheerfully; she's clearly no longer upset about what Draco said to her know that she knows that for me, breastfeeding is impossible. Though no words are spoken, I can tell that everyone else in the room is thinking the exact same thing I am, and an almost eerie silence falls upon the room. Thankfully, though, the other healer who left the room in search of formula earlier chooses this moment to return.

She walks towards the table at the back of the room, and she and Mrs. Taylor busy themselves with making Skylar's first bottle, which Mrs. Taylor heats up momentarily before bringing it to me. Before I take the bottle from Mrs. Taylor, I gently pull the pacifier out of the baby's mouth and lay it on the bed beside me, and as soon as I do so he starts wailing loudly. "Aww, shhh!" I say soothingly, casting him a sympathetic glance as I reach out for the bottle with my right hand. As soon as I wrap my fingers around the bottle, I lower it to Skylar's mouth and tilt it upwards slightly, slowly sliding it into his mouth. The infant immediately stops crying and his eyes widen as he realizes he's being fed, and he starts sucking on the bottle furiously, occasionally emitting small, satisfied grunts as he drinks.

The entire room watches in awe as the 'little bean' has his first meal, and by the time the bottle has been emptied and Skylar's been burped twice, his eyelids are drooping. Draco chuckles when he sees this, and plants a soft kiss on the baby's forehead. Mrs. Taylor flicks her wand, conjuring up a crib for Skylar to sleep in, and Draco eases the sleeping newborn from my arms and into the nearby crib, with some guidance from his mother. As soon as Skylar is situated in the crib, Mrs. Taylor quietly speaks to the entire room. "Jayde's going to need some rest as well," she says barely louder than a whisper.

I find it funny that, before she said anything, I wasn't feeling tired at all, but now that she mentions it, I'm _exhausted._ Mrs. Taylor slowly walks over to the delivery room door and holds it open, indicating that everyone should follow her out of the room to allow me and Skylar to rest. All ready panicking, I grab hold of Draco's wrist firmly. "Stay," I plead with him through my mind. "Don't worry, love," he replies, "I'm not going _anywhere." _

Having all ready escorted everyone else out of the room, Mrs. Taylor turns to look at Draco and I. As though she's read our thoughts, she quietly says, "All right… you can stay as long as you promise to let _both of them _get their rest." Draco nods his head in silent agreement, and with that Mrs. Taylor turns off the light and walks out, closing the door behind her.

Glad to finally be alone for the first time since our son was born, Draco leans down and kisses me on my forehead and my cheek. "Get some rest, darling," he says sweetly; I give him a knowing look in response.

"I can't sleep without you beside me," I whisper. Though he's trying to hide it, I can tell that this is what Draco's been waiting for; as soon as I say this he flashes a brilliant smile at me and playfully says, "Scoot over." Carefully turning to lie on my left side, I slide over to give Draco room, and he slowly climbs right up onto the hospital bed with me. The he carefully wraps his arm around me, just like he does when we're in bed at home, and I snuggle up against him as best I can. I lean my head up against his chest and fall asleep almost immediately.

* * *

**Author's Note: And there it is, the answer you've all been waiting for! I was really nervous about this chapter because I know _several _of you have told me in reviews that you hoped the baby was a girl. I _really _hope you aren't disappointed. When I saw everyone begging for it to be a girl, I seriously considered changing it... I've fought with myself for the past several days about it, which is why it's taken me so long to get this chapter up. But in the end, _this _is how the story was meant to be written, since the first chapter... _this _is the plot bunny I got that inspired this story; even Skylar's name was all ready picked out. And even though I wanted to please you all, I just didn't feel I could change it without changing the entire story. I'm SO sorry it took me so long to get this chapter posted! I promise not to take so long to get the next chapter up! _Please _let me know what you think!**


	31. Chapter 31 Coming Home

After a short but very refreshing and much-needed nap, I wake up. I'm a bit disoriented at first; I'm unsure of where I am, but I can tell, even before my eyes are open, that I'm not at home in my bed. When I feel Draco's thumb lightly rubbing my right cheek, I slowly open my eyes to find him looking back at me; he'd apparently been watching me sleep. I look around at the white walls and white ceiling, and then remember that I'm in the hospital and gasp loudly.

"What is it, love?" Draco asks quietly from his position, lying right beside me.

"We… we have a son," I half-state, half-ask as I stare up into his beautiful grey eyes, smiling brilliantly. He flashes me a smile and nods his head in response. "Where is he?" I ask immediately.

"Over there in the crib; he's still asleep," Draco replies, causing me to smile even more brilliantly. Tears of happiness quickly approach the corners of my eyes, and Draco gently wipes them away before asking me what's wrong.

"Nothing," I reply. "It's just… this is _so _incredible; this moment is _so _perfect… I can't believe what a lucky turn my life has taken over the past nine months. It's like a dream."

I see tears slowly begin to build in the corners of Draco's eyes as I speak; "I know _exactly _what you mean, love," he says tenderly. At this, I lean my head forward and rest my head against his chest again, wrapping my arms around him tightly while he does the same to me. I close my eyes for a moment and breathe in Draco's intoxicating scent. When I reopen my eyes, I'm distracted by something glittering across the room, casting a silvery glow upon the wall. Straining my neck to make out what it is, I notice that it's a balloon; one of many that are now decorating the table across from my bed. There are balloons of all shapes, sizes and colors; some of them spell out "Congratulations" in flashing letters, while others say, "It's a boy!" They were obviously all brought in while I slept. Glancing at the space between the balloons, I notice dozens of bouquets of all sorts of flowers, which are also multi-sized and multi-colored.

"Draco?" I begin curiously, "Where did all the flowers and balloons come from?" Draco chuckles in response.

"I'll give you three guesses, and two don't count," he says playfully. Unsure of what he means by that, I ask him for clarification. "They're from my mother and father," he replies, "they went a little overboard."

"They're _all _from your mum and dad?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes," Draco answers simply. Chuckling slightly, I shake my head before closing my eyes and burying my head against Draco's chest again. I let out a content sigh and am very close to falling back asleep when I hear the door to my room open, causing me to reopen my eyes once more. I find that Mrs. Taylor has just entered the room with a wheelchair, and she gives me an apologetic look.

"Jayde, I'm sorry dear," she says quietly so as not to disturb the still-sleeping Skylar, "but I'm afraid you're going to have to get up now. Just for a little while, though; I've come to take you to the restroom."

"Right," I reply with a nod of my head as I start trying to push up onto my elbows. Seeing my struggle, Draco immediately jumps off the bed and stands beside it, helping me from my side into a seated position. Once we've got that feat accomplished, he helps me turn to the side and slide closer to the edge of the bed. Instead of allowing me to slide down and place my feet on the floor, though, he places one hand behind my back and the other underneath my knees, lifting me into his arms and holding me while Mrs. Taylor walks over, pushing the wheelchair. She tells Draco we'll be back shortly, and that he can wait here for us to return. Once she's said this, Draco reluctantly eases me into the chair and releases me. I flash him a reassuring smile, but he still looks back at me with concern etched upon his handsome features. Noticing this, Mrs. Taylor assures him that I'll be fine before returning her attention to me.

She slowly starts walking forward, easing me along with her. Mrs. Taylor and I reach the hospital room's door a moment later, which she slowly opens, and we begin making our way down the hall. I feel a bit awkward being in a wheelchair, and constantly look around to make sure nobody's staring. The healers bustling about stand to the side and make room as Mrs. Taylor pushes me along, and after a few moments we come to the end of the hallway and make a very careful left turn. We slowly continue down the new hallway, walking about half-way down before we reach the white door labeled "Witches".

Mrs. Taylor slowly opens the door and pushes me inside before locking the door. When we've reached the seclusion of the very large single-stall bathroom, Mrs. Taylor leans down and carefully begins easing me out of the wheelchair. I hold on to her for dear life as she eases me to my feet, and she gently begins taking small steps forward, guiding me along with her. I wince with each tiny step I take, and I can't help but feel very awkward and uncomfortable at the thought that someone has to help me to the bathroom. Mrs. Taylor supplies me with a feminine product, and once we've got the feat of getting me to the restroom accomplished, Mrs. Taylor starts explaining to me all the changes my body will be going through in the next few weeks, such as the fact that my monthly cycle could last up to six weeks, and my breasts will probably be sore for few days.

As she explains this, I can't help but think that its sounds like the labor was the _easy _part of having a child. As Mrs. Taylor eases me back into the wheelchair, she explains that, although she used a healing spell earlier, my body still isn't fully healed, and I will need to take it easy for a while. She reiterates what she told Draco and I earlier in the delivery/post-natal room; _no shagging _for _at least _six weeks, not that I was considering it with the amount of discomfort I'm in. She also says that I should come back to see her at the end of those six weeks, for a post-delivery checkup. As she pushes me out of the bathroom and back into the hallway, another question comes to my mind. It's a somewhat vain question, I know, but I _have _to ask.

"Um… Mrs. Taylor?" I begin cautiously.

"Yes, dear?" she replies as she rounds a corner, pushing me back towards the delivery room.

"Um… when will my baby bump… I mean… when will my body be back to normal?" Mrs. Taylor chuckles at this; she's apparently heard this question quite a few times before.

"Soon," she replies sweetly, "not overnight, but soon. Your belly's all ready shrunk some now that the Skylar's been born, and you'll notice it continuing to shrink over the coming weeks. Just give it some time; let your body heal, and if you're not satisfied with your appearance by the time you come back to me for your post-delivery checkup, I'll let you know when you can start exercising to get rid of any leftover baby weight."

"Okay," I reply, starting to feel slightly relieved as Mrs. Taylor reopens the delivery room door and pushes me inside. Draco, who'd been sitting in the chair next to the hospital bed, immediately jumps to his feet once we re-enter the room, and when Mrs. Taylor stops the wheelchair right beside the bed, he leans down and scoops me up into his arms once more. He turns around and carefully eases me back onto the bed, and he takes a seat beside me once I'm situated and in a comfortable position. Mrs. Taylor pushes the wheelchair off to one side of the room for the next time I need to get out of bed, and once she's done that she turns around to face Draco and I again.

"Now then," she says, "Skylar will need to come back here _exactly _one week from today, for his first checkup. His umbilical cord should have fallen off by then, and once it does you can give him his first bath. Until then, just give him sponge baths." Draco and I both nod our heads in silent agreement with the healer's instructions, trying to memorize every little detail. She gives us a quick smile in response. "You two don't have _a thing _to worry about," she says happily, "I all ready know you're going to be _amazing _parents." At this, Draco and I both smile and give each other happy, hopeful, and loving glances. "_And," _Mrs. Taylor continues, drawing our attention away from each other and back to her, "I have something for you."

Wondering what she could mean, I furrow my eyebrows in curiosity and watch as Mrs. Taylor flicks her wand, causing a square-shaped book to appear in her hands. Smiling from ear to ear, she walks over to the right side of my bed and passes the book to me. Draco leans closer to me, so that he and I can look at the book together. I gasp when I notice that there's a picture of Skylar on it, and then again as I read the title on the cover; it says,_ Skylar's baby book_. I eagerly open to the first page of the book, which has Skylar's full name written at the top, as well as his date and time of birth and a moving picture of him just moments after he was born. Just below that is a family tree, which includes mine and Draco's names, as well as our parents'.

Completely awed, I turn to the second page and am shocked to see a copy of the finger, hand, foot, and toe prints Mrs. Taylor took from Skylar earlier, as well as the record of his initial weight and length. "Oh, this is _amazing!" _I say in an astonished tone as I look up at Mrs. Taylor. "Thank you _so much_!" I tell her as tears begin to build up in the corners of my eyes once more.

"You're _very _welcome, dear," she replies. "Well, go on! Keep looking!" she says playfully. I immediately return my gaze to Skylar's baby book, and when I flip the page I am delighted to discover that the third page is covered with small, moving portraits. Each of them is a small clip of the moments following the delivery; the first time I held Skylar, the first time Draco held him, Draco hugging his father, Lucius and Narcissa holding Skylar, Mrs. McGreggor holding Skylar, and even me feeding him his first bottle.

"Awww!" I exclaim as I point at each picture. Draco, who is just as awed by the book as I am, quietly asks Mrs. Taylor how she got all these photos; he says he doesn't remember her taking any pictures. And now that he mentions it, _I _don't remember her taking any pictures, either; I stare up at Mrs. Taylor in awe, eagerly awaiting her response.

"Those aren't pictures, dears," she replies, "they're memories that I had made into pictures. I wanted you both to be able to remember this day forever."

Touched by the gesture, I place my hand over my heart as a single tear rolls down my cheek, while Draco simply whispers, "Brilliant."

"And just think!" I exclaim as I look to my left at Draco, "We can show these to Skylar when he's old enough!" Draco smiles at me in response and nods his head. And at that moment, as though he knows he's being talked about, Skylar wakes up and starts crying. Draco immediately gets to his feet and walks over to the crib, easing Skylar out of it and holding him against his chest.

"Well it's about time you woke up, bean!" he says with a smile as he tries to soothe our crying son. My heart once again swells at the sight of Draco holding Skylar, and an enormous smile spreads across my face.

"I think he needs a diaper change," Mrs. Taylor says quietly, and she immediately flicks her wand, conjuring up a fully-equipped changing table next to the crib. Draco immediately jumps in control of the situation, walking straight over to the table and laying Skylar down upon it softly. I beam with pride and smile at the sight; even though Draco was terrified to hold Allen and Marie's daughter, he's not showing even the slightest bit of nervousness now. Mrs. Taylor rushes across the room to the table and slowly and carefully helps Draco with Skylar's first changing, coaching him along the whole while. Draco seems to be a bit frightened by the way Skylar keeps crying, but he remains calm and finishes his task, with Mrs. Taylor's help. When that's finished, Draco carefully scoops Skylar up into his arms once more and slowly walks back over towards the bed, and he places Skylar in my arms as soon as he reaches me.

Mrs. Taylor exits the room at this point; I assume it's so Draco, Skylar and I can have some privacy. She instructs me, however, to call her if I need anything, even if it's only to go to the bathroom; she tells me I'd better not _dare _try to go on my own, and Draco assures her that he has no intentions of letting me. Once Mrs. Taylor's left the room, Draco and I spend a few quiet moments with our son; just the three of us. Lucius, Narcissa, and Mrs. McGreggor join us a short while later, each of them taking turns holding Skylar.

Our afternoon and evening pass in this same way, with our small family grouped together talking, laughing, and cooing over every movement Skylar makes. Mrs. Taylor and various other healers occasionally drift in and out of the room to check on the baby and me, and to help me to the bathroom. Lucius, Narcissa, and Mrs. McGreggor all leave the hospital around nine p.m., after which they go out for dinner at Diagon Alley before returning to Malfoy Manor to get some rest. Draco, on the other hand, refuses to leave mine and Skylar's sides, opting to spend the night at the hospital instead of returning home.

He and I enjoy a pleasant dinner together, though the hospital food leaves a lot to be desired. I feed Skylar for the final time today, and he falls asleep immediately afterwards. Draco carefully puts him in the crib and wraps him in a small blanket before climbing onto the bed beside me to get some rest. We snuggle up close to each other and fall asleep a short while later with huge smiles on our faces; we've both just had the best day of our lives. We're both awoken a few times throughout the night by a screaming Skylar, and Draco and I can't help but think that this whole 'parents' thing is going to take some getting used to.

Draco takes care of Skylar's various needs each time he wakes, before climbing back onto the bed beside me and falling asleep almost immediately. Still exhausted from the day's grueling activities, I find it easy to fall back asleep as well. When Draco and I wake for the final time around nine a.m., we're served another not-so-delicious hospital meal, after which I feed Skylar his breakfast as well. Lucius, Narcissa, and Mrs. McGreggor arrive a short while later, and Mrs. Taylor immediately starts making preparations to release Skylar and me. She gives Draco and I, and even Draco's parents, some final instructions for mine and Skylar's care. Then she reminds us of Skylar's appointment for next week one final time. Afterwards, she says that as soon as the healers have gotten all of our things, mainly all the flowers and balloons from Lucius and Narcissa, packed and ready to go, we're free to leave.

She helps me to the bathroom a final time, helping me out of my hospital gown and into a pair of loose-fitting clothes Narcissa brought for me from home. When we return from the bathroom, everything has been cleared out of the delivery room and it's finally time to go home. Everyone, myself included, bids farewell to Mrs. Taylor and thanks her for the excellent care she's given Skylar and me. Once that's settled and Mrs. Taylor has left the room, blushing violently I might add, Draco speaks. "I'd like to stop by Diagon Alley for a few moments before going home dear, if you're feeling up to it." I'm immediately confused as to why Draco wants to go to Diagon Alley, and apparently, I'm not the only one.

"Of _course _she's not feeling up to it!" Narcissa exclaims. "And even if she were, Mrs. Taylor _just _told you that she needs to take it easy the next week or two; _no more walking than what's absolutely necessary!" _Draco blushes at this outburst and stares at the floor.

"I know that, Mother," he says matter-of-factly, "I was only planning on being there for a moment; I didn't think it would hurt." Thought I'm curious about why Draco wants to go to Diagon Alley, I don't want to keep him from going if he wants to, and I seriously consider telling him yes. _After all, _I tell myself, _Draco did just say for a moment; surely that wouldn't hurt. Besides, I could use some fresh air. _Before I can express these thoughts, however, Narcissa replies.

"Well what in Merlin's name in Diagon Alley is _so _important that you feel the need to go and get it now?" she asks. Draco flashes a devilish, handsome smile before responding.

"I want to get Skylar his first broomstick," he says happily. Narcissa, Mrs. McGreggor and I all roll our eyes playfully and laugh in response to Draco's confession. "What?" he asks with a mock tone of surprise in his voice.

"Draco," I reply with a laugh, "our son wasn't even born twenty-four hours ago; we're _not _getting him a broom."

"Jayde's absolutely right, son," Lucius interjects, taking me by surprise. I'd have thought he'd be on Draco's side about this. "We should get Jayde and Skylar home," Lucius continues. "Besides, _I'm _Skylar's Grandfather –_ I'll _be buying him his first broomstick."

Everyone else in the room laughs loudly in response to Lucius' statement. "I can see it now; you and Draco are going to argue about who's going to spoil Skylar more," Narcissa says to her husband playfully. Draco just laughs and shakes his head in response, and we all prepare to leave.


	32. Chapter 32 The Party

When Draco and I land outside the gates to Malfoy Manor, I quietly say "Home, Sweet Home," as Draco and I pass through the wrought-iron gates slowly. Draco still has his arm wrapped around my waist in an effort to make walking easier for me; he says he doesn't want me to over-exert myself.

I look up at the manor as we walk and I'm surprised to see that all the maids and house elves are standing on the front steps with huge smiles on their faces, anxiously awaiting my return and Skylar's arrival. Mrs. McGreggor, who's walking in front of Draco and I, stops when she sees the maids, causing Draco and I to do the same. With Skylar in her arms, she turns around and starts walking back towards Draco and I with a smile on her face. "I'm pretty sure it's _you _they want to see holding him, not me," she says as she approaches us and extends her arms, indicating that I should take Skylar from her. I do so slowly and carefully, and then Draco and I continue making our way towards Malfoy Manor and all the servants waiting to meet our son.

When we reach the steps, all the servants begin offering their congratulations and well wishes to Draco and I, and telling us how beautiful Skylar is. The house elves run up to higher steps to be able to see Skylar, Pinky included. Draco and I make our way up the steps one-by-one, occasionally stopping to thank the servants for their kind words. He and I smile brilliantly the whole while; we couldn't be happier. Or at least, we _thought _we couldn't be happier. We're quickly proven wrong, however, for when we reach the front door, Draco opens it and we step inside to find ourselves surrounded by another group of well-wishers who've come to see Skylar.

"Surprise!" they all say loudly, thoroughly startling Draco and me. We both gasp and smile widely, and everyone in the crowded Entrance Hall starts clapping and cheering. Unfortunately, their cheering is _so _loud that it wakes Skylar, who was asleep in my arms. I immediately begin trying to soothe the infant, and Draco quickly flicks his wand, producing one of the pacifiers Mrs. Taylor sent home from the hospital with us. Draco hands the pacifier to me and I carefully place it in the crying infant's mouth. It works; Skylar starts sucking and falls asleep almost instantly, allowing me to return my attention to the crowd before me. Before I get a chance to scan the room, Narcissa rushes forward to Draco and me.

"Mum, what's going on?" Draco asks in a surprised tone.

"Your father invited _everyone _over to surprise the two of you," she replies, absolutely beaming. "That's why he was gone so long when he left the hospital yesterday; he spent all that time planning _this_."

"_Father _did all this?" Draco asks incredulously, referring to the balloons and streamers littering the room, as well as the sign hanging from the second floor landing that reads _'Welcome Home, Jayde and Skylar'. _

"Yes!" Narcissa replies, "I told you he'd turned into a pile of mush!" Draco casts me an astonished look, as if to ask if I can believe all this, and I smile at him in response. He leans closer and gives me a quick kiss, after which we're distracted by the sound of people cheering once more. Draco and I begin scanning the room, making note of everyone who's here and smiling and waving at them in acknowledgement. Narcissa _wasn't _exaggerating; it looks as though Lucius really _has _invited _everyone. _

I see Draco's family members: his uncle, aunt, cousins, and Grandmother, as well as his friends: Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise and Pansy and their parents. And it looks as though Crabbe and Goyle have brought along their annoying girlfriends, Mary and Martha. This does _nothing _to dampen my spirits; I just ignore the girls' giggling and continue scanning the room. The Minister of Magic is in the crowd with his wife, as are several of people I assume to be Lucius' and Draco's coworkers whom I've never met. As I continue to scan the crowd, my eyes land upon a group of people clustered together on the far left side of the room.

They're all clapping and smiling along with the others, but the brilliant red hair of three of their heads sets them apart; Ginny and her parents, along with Hermione, Neville, and Tonks, have all come to see Skylar, too! Perhaps even more stunning to me than the fact that they're here is the fact that they were _invited; _Lucius invited my friends even though he can't stand them! I gasp at the realization and tears quickly approach the corners of my eyes as I look over at my friends, who are positively beaming at me. Draco, knowing how much this means to me, flashes me a smile and wraps his arm around my shoulder.

"Why don't we find somewhere comfortable for you to sit down so everyone can talk to you and meet Skylar, love?" he asks.

"Okay," I reply quietly, nodding my head in response. Overhearing our conversation, Narcissa informs the entire room that Draco, Skylar and I are going to have a seat in the Drawing Room, and that everyone can make their way in to see us. Immediately the people standing closest to the Drawing Room door step aside, clearing a path for Draco and me. Narcissa walks a short distance ahead of us and opens the Drawing Room door before stepping aside to allow Draco and I to pass. With his hand still resting gently on my waist, Draco carefully guides me into the Drawing Room and over to the sofa.

Narcissa, Lucius, and Mrs. McGreggor follow us into the room and Narcissa closes the door. Once we're at the sofa Draco takes Skylar from me while I have a seat and get comfortable, and as soon as I'm situated he eases the sleeping infant back into my arms before taking a seat beside me. Narcissa patiently observes this entire process and waits to make sure Draco and I are ready for our guests and Lucius and Mrs. McGreggor are seated. Then she walks back over to the Drawing Room door and opens it, and the throng of people begins making its way into the room to greet the newest member of the Malfoy family.

Clusters of people come into the Drawing Room together; some of them are grouped with their family members while others enter with their friends. The Minister of Magic is one of the first into the room, accompanied by his wife. Both Mr. and Mrs. Fudge are simply delighted; Mrs. Fudge hugs all the women in the room while the Minister shakes Draco and Lucius' hands. The Minister informs us that he told any of his employees who wanted to come see Skylar that they could have the day off, which is part of the reason the party's turnout is so huge. Draco and I graciously thank the Minister when he tells Draco he can take as long of a paternity leave as he needs and everyone in the room chuckles when he jokes about Skylar being a future Ministry of Magic employee.

Once Mr. and Mrs. Fudge have finished talking to us, they walk across the Drawing Room to stand beside the fireplace and join the other people who've all ready seen us in a happy and hearty discussion, though I'm not sure what about as more guests continue to make their way into the room. When Draco's friends make their way into the room, Pansy squeals with delight as she looks at Skylar, and keeps repeating how much like his father he looks. Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise mainly talk to Draco, congratulating him, and their parents speak only to Lucius and Narcissa. Of course, Mary and Martha merely blush and giggle when they reach us before walking off to join the group of people on the other side of the room. I cast Draco a playful but meaningful look when they pass, and I feel him shaking beside me with silent laughter.

Next into the room are Draco's family members; his Aunt Tracy and his Grandmother talk to me about the birth while Draco's uncle Maximus congratulates his nephew and brother on the new addition to their family. Draco's younger cousins Damon and Diane seem too shy to approach the baby just yet, and stay close to their mother instead. Several more groups of people pass through the room after Draco's family members, most of whom I don't know.

I'm a bit surprised when Allen and Marie Brown walk into the room a short while later, Marie holding their baby girl Andrea in her arms. I can't help but wonder if their relationship has improved any since the last time I saw Marie as I call out to her, glad to see another new mother. Marie looks crestfallen and just nods sullenly in response to my greeting and stares down at Skylar for a moment, giving me the idea that their situation _hasn't _improved. Her husband Allen, however, can't seem to stop talking. He stares at Skylar a little too eagerly for my comfort, and constantly keeps telling Draco how lucky he is to have a son. I have to struggle to keep from rolling my eyes at Allen's blatant disrespect for Marie, the woman who gave him a _beautiful daughter_, and I can tell his behavior is upsetting Draco as well.

"You're lucky you've got a sweet and healthy baby girl," he finally tells Allen, who simply scoffs at the idea. "After all, what's important is that the baby's healthy; it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl," Draco continues, "I'd still love our baby just as much if he were a girl." Though I'm afraid Draco may have said too much, Allen thankfully doesn't pick up on the hidden hostility in his voice.

"Oh, you can say that all you want," Allen replies, "but you don't know until you've been through it; lucky for you, you'll never have to feel that disappointment." I feel Draco tense up beside me and I cast Marie a frightened look, but fortunately Allen decides that he's finished talking at this point and walks off to join the rest of our guests. Poor Marie, who has still been completely silent, mouths the words 'I'm sorry' before following her husband timidly. Draco and I remain tense and upset from that encounter through the next few groups of people who enter the room, but we eventually regain our composure.

Finally, a couple of hours after we spoke with our first guest for the day, the last group of visitors enters the Drawing room, and the sight of them makes me completely forget the situation with Allen earlier. I squeal with excitement as my friends enter the room, and Draco leans forward and takes Skylar from me so I can stand up and hug them all. I hug Hermione and Ginny first, and by the time I pull away from them I'm crying as they congratulate me. Next I pull Mrs. Weasley into a hug, and she tells me how proud she is of me, causing me to cry even harder. Next come Neville, Mr. Weasley and Tonks, and when I've hugged them all I return to my seat so I can introduce them to Skylar, who remains asleep in Draco's arms. All my friends congratulate Draco as well, and they even turn to Lucius and Narcissa.

When Arthur Weasley extends his hand for Lucius to shake, the latter seems a bit taken aback. Finally, though, Lucius extends his hand and gives Arthur a forced and uncomfortable-looking smile as he thanks him for coming. The Malfoys even talk to their estranged family member, Tonks, and Neville, whom I don't believe they've ever met before. My friends stand there talking to us much longer than the other guests did, and while we're still talking one of the maids comes into the Drawing Room to tell us that lunch is ready; apparently, the Malfoys have had the maids prepare a meal for _everyone _who's at the manor. Narcissa insists that the guests let Draco and I eat first, and he and I slowly begin to make our way to the Dining Room.

Narcissa, Lucius and Mrs. McGreggor come with us, and Narcissa holds Skylar while the rest of us eat our lunch heartily, being famished from the day's activities. Once we've finished eating I tell Draco that, although I'd love to stay and chat with everyone, I'd like to go upstairs and take a nap. After all, I'm exhausted; I just gave birth a day ago and the process of talking to all our guests this morning was quite long and tiring. Everyone in the room agrees that I should get some rest, and Draco picks me up and begins carrying me upstairs in an effort to keep me from hurting myself in the three-story climb. Narcissa walks along behind us, carrying Skylar with her, and she carefully places him in his crib inside the nursery while Draco lays me down in our bedroom next door.

He carefully climbs onto the bed beside me as his mother walks into our room to let us know that Skylar's still sleeping soundly. Realizing that I need to use the restroom, I ask Narcissa to help me do so, admittedly still feeling slightly awkward about it. When I reach the bathroom I discover that Narcissa's all ready thought of _everything; _she's all ready stocked the cabinets with more than enough of the things I'll need in the coming weeks as my body returns to normal, including feminine products and breast pads for when I start lactating in the next few days. It takes longer than normal and is slightly more painful to accomplish the now-grueling task of using the bathroom, it's like I've had to learn how to do so all over again. When Narcissa and I return to the bedroom I can't help but feel relieved as she eases me back onto the bed.

I feel myself beginning to doze off almost immediately, but before I fall asleep I make Narcissa promise to wake me before our guests leave, so they can see Skylar once more. After all, they did come to meet Skylar and I feel horrible for abandoning the party. When I wake a while later, a glance at the windows tells me that night has fallen; I've apparently slept much longer than I meant to. I'm certain that the guests must have all ready left and feel slightly annoyed that Narcissa didn't wake me when they left like she promised to, but I know that she probably just thought I needed the rest and had my best interests at heart. I look to my right at Draco, who must have fallen asleep while watching _me _sleep, and smile at the thought.

I take a deep breath in and close my eyes again, but as soon as I've done so I hear Skylar start crying from his nursery next door. I reopen my eyes and smile slightly at Draco's still-sleeping form; Skylar's cries haven't phased my worn-out fiancé. Though I know how protective Draco is and I'm sure he'd want me to wake him instead of tending to Skylar myself, I'm confident I can handle it without hurting myself and don't want to wake him, especially not when he's sleeping so peacefully. So I slowly and carefully ease myself off the bed, taking care not to hurt myself _or _wake Draco. I have to walk slowly because my body still aches in places, making the short walk seem like a long journey. When I open the bedroom door, Skylar's cries get louder, and I quickly close it behind me to keep the cries from waking the baby's slumbering father. The baby seems to feel my presence as I enter the room, and he starts wailing even more loudly.

"There, there," I say quietly as I reach his crib and lift him out, "It's all right." I note that Skylar's eyes are white as I pull him close to me, but he's apparently unable to cause a significant weather change inside the room just yet, being only a couple of days old. Unsure of which of his un-met needs is causing him to cry, I decide to fulfill them all, just to be on the safe side. First, I walk over to the changing table and change his diaper. I make sure to clean around his umbilical cord gently as I do so, just like Mrs. Taylor taught me at the hospital. Then I call out to Pinky, who appears instantly by my side with a loud _Pop, _and ask her if she wouldn't mind fetching me a bottle of milk.

Thrilled to be of service to both myself and her new young master, she leaves and reappears only seconds later with a warm bottle. I slowly cross the room from the changing table to the rocking chair beside the crib and take a seat with Pinky's help. The house elf watches in amazement as I start feeding Skylar, who seems much more agreeable now that his tiny belly is being filled. After stopping half-way through to burp the baby, I feed him the rest of his bottle, after which Pinky disposes of it and the soiled diaper from earlier. Now quiet and content, Skylar simply stares up at me in wonder, his tiny blue eyes taking in his surroundings. I can't do anything in response but stare down at him and smile at the sight of my son; my little miracle. I honestly believe I could sit here in silence starting at him, just like this, for the rest of the night. And for a while, I do.

I slowly rock back and forth, rub his cheek and touch his tiny hand, and chuckle when he curls all his fingers around my index finger. Every little move he makes nearly leaves me breathless, and I can't help but think that thus far I'm loving _every minute_ of being a mother. I quietly start singing one of the Gaelic lullabies Ms. Fitzpatrick taught me to Skylar; the same one I sand to little Andrea just a few days ago. After only a few moments I notice his eyelids starting to droop, and what seems like only seconds later, he's sleeping soundly. When I'm confident that he won't wake if I move, I ask Pinky, who's been standing beside the rocking chair this whole time and watching in awe, to help me to my feet. I rise slowly and inch my way over to the crib, carefully placing the newborn inside it and covering him with a tiny blanket. And though I'm starting to get _very _tired and could easily go back to bed now that Skylar's been taken care of, I simply stand there staring at my son in wonder once more.

And I'm still standing in that exact same spot about five minutes later when I hear mine and Draco's bedroom door open; Draco apparently woke up and got curious when he realized I wasn't beside him. As I crane my neck to the left towards the open nursery door, I see Draco make his way into the room. I follow him with my eyes and watch him earnestly as he draws closer. His eyes are heavy and his feet drag against the floor when he walks; he's clearly still very drowsy. "Is everything all right, darling?" he asks quietly, coming to a halt beside me.

"Yes," I whisper, flashing him a reassuring smile and nodding my head in response. "He was crying, but he was just hungry and needed a diaper change; I've just got him back to sleep."

"Why didn't you wake me?" Draco asks curiously. "I would've taken care of him; you need your rest." Chuckling slightly, I smile at him in response.

"I knew you'd say that," I laugh. "And I know you'd have taken care of him, but _you _need rest, too. I was all ready awake." At this, a slight sigh from Skylar draws both mine and Draco's eyes away from each other and towards our son, who's still sleeping soundly. I can't help but start smiling all over again when I look down at him, and I can see out of the corner of my eye that Draco's smiling as well. He slowly makes his way from my left side to the space just behind me and wraps his arms around me gently. I close my eyes and take a deep breath in, taking in his intoxicating scent and basking in the warmth of his arms' embrace.

He gives me a soft kiss on the cheek and I open my eyes and look up into his, quickly losing myself within the midst of his beautiful misty-grey orbs. We gaze and smile at each other lovingly for a moment, and then Draco leans closer and closes his eyes, pressing his lips to mine gently. The moment our lips touch, however, Skylar lets out another sigh that startles both of us, causing us to nearly jump apart. We both look down at him with concern, only to find that he's still sleeping soundly, which causes us both to laugh at ourselves for being so paranoid. Once we've calmed down from the scare, Draco wraps his arms around me once more. We look down at our sleeping son together for a moment. "He's so beautiful," I whisper.

"Of course he is," Draco replies sweetly, "You're his mother."

* * *

**Author's Note: I know, I am a horrible person! I am SO sorry it has taken me so long to update! Real life has been harassing me lately and tearing me away from my precious writing time! :-( I've got some free time this week, though, so don't worry, the next update won't take so long, I promise! Thanks SO much for your continued reading and reviewing and support.**


	33. Chapter 33  Life with Baby

After a few more moments of watching our son sleep, Draco and I go back to our bedroom, falling asleep almost instantly. Though we slept for quite a while before I woke up and cared for Skylar, we sleep fairly late on Thursday morning as well, until ten. I wake a few moments before Draco, realizing that I have to use the bathroom. I slowly and carefully get out of bed and ease my way towards the bathroom door, discovering as I walk that new places on my body have started aching. I find the soreness manageable but can't help but wince quietly with each step.

When I've finished using the bathroom, I walk out into the bedroom, still wincing with each step, and find that Draco has woken up and rolled over to face the bathroom. He's now eyeing me with both curiosity and concern as I draw closer. "I'm fine, and good morning," I say to him with a smile. Draco smiles in response and climbs out of bed, coming to stand in front of me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Good morning to you, too, beautiful," he says sweetly before kissing my forehead. "Are you sure you're all right?" he asks a moment later.

"Yes," I reply, "but I'm kind of hungry."

"I am too, now that you mention it," he replies, "and we _should _be – we haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. I'll tell you what; let me use the bathroom and then we'll go downstairs and have a nice breakfast, okay?"

"Okay," I reply with a nod and a smile, and Draco removes his hands from my waist and heads for the bathroom, closing the white wooden door behind him with a quite '_click'. _As soon as he's closed the door behind himself I start making my way out of our room and next door to the nursery without even thinking about it, as though the action were compulsory.

I walk into the room as quietly as I can; I don't want to wake Skylar. When I reach the crib and look down at him, however, I find that his bright blue eyes are all ready open, and he stares up at me in wonder. "Hi, bean!" I say with excitement. "What are you doing awake so early?" I reach down into the crib and pull the infant into my arms, hugging him against my chest tightly as I lean back up into a standing position. I turn around to face the nursery door just in time to see Draco walk through it with a huge smile on his handsome face.

"I thought I'd find you in here," he says matter-of-factly, causing me to chuckle slightly. "Darling, if there's one sight that will never cease to amaze me, no matter how many times I look at it," he continues, "it's the sight of you holding our son." Blushing slightly, I smile in response as Draco closes the distance between us and kisses Skylar on the forehead. Then, noticing something I haven't until now, I gasp and stare up at the nursery walls.

"Oh Draco, your father certainly _did _remember how we wanted the nursery decorated, didn't he?" I ask rhetorically.

"Wow, you're right," Draco replies, examining the walls for himself. "I hadn't really noticed it before now – it was so dark last night when we were in here." As Draco speaks, I continue to look around the nursery, observing every little detail of its decoration. Just as Draco and I chose, the walls are painted pale blue, and there are little light green lily pads scattered around on it. Dark green toads hop around on the surface, jumping from one lily pad to the other. The occasionally flick their tongues out, too. Further examination of the room tells me that Lucius has transfigured all the furniture to match the light green lily pads of the wall design. I open my mouth to point this out to Draco, but I'm interrupted by the sound of Pinky apparating into the room, causing Draco and I both to turn and look at her.

"Mistress Narcissa is asking Pinky to come and fetch Master Draco and Missus Jayde for breakfast," she announces importantly.

"Right. Well done, Pinky," Draco replies, causing the tiny elf to beam with pride. "Darling, give Skylar to me. Pinky, you take Jayde down to the Dining Room; she shouldn't be walking downstairs by herself. I'll come down right behind you two, and bring Skylar with me," Draco instructs.

"Okay," Pinky and I both respond. I lower Skylar and ease him into Draco's waiting arms before taking Pinky's hand. She disapparates immediately and the two of us reappear in the Dining Room, nearly scaring Lucius and Narcissa out of their wits.

The both of them jerk involuntarily and Narcissa says, "Oh my goodness, Jayde! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry," I say quietly, trying my best to control the urge to laugh.

"Where's Skylar?" she asks in response as Pinky helps me into my usual chair at the table.

"Draco's bringing him down now," I reply matter-of-factly. No sooner have the words left my mouth than Draco walks into the Dining Room, carrying a Skylar-laden bassinette. Narcissa, who's all ready finished her food, jumps out of her chair and rushes forward.

"Oh, there he is!" she practically squeals. "I'll hold him so the two of you can eat," she tells Draco, before taking the bassinette from him. Draco shakes his head playfully at his mother's behavior before taking his seat beside me. Starved, the two of us start eating immediately, devouring our eggs, bacon, and toast. Narcissa sits at the table the whole while, simply fawning over her grandson. When Lucius finishes _his _breakfast, he does the same.

Once Draco and I have had our fill, we remain seated at the table, conversing with his parents. Narcissa informs me that Mrs. McGreggor left late last night, but promised to return soon. I'm a bit disappointed but don't say anything about it, and Lucius speaks up a moment later. "I was thinking of going to Diagon Alley today, son, just to get a bit of fresh air," he says. "Would you like to come?"

"I don't think so, Dad," Draco begins automatically. "After all, I've got Jayde and Skylar to look after."

"Oh, nonsense!" Narcissa immediately interjects, "Skylar and Jayde will be fine here with me; won't you, Jayde?"

"Absolutely," I reply, turning to look at Draco. "We'll be fine. You should go spend some time with your father." Draco's eyebrows furrow at this.

"I don't know, love," he says, placing his hand on top of mine. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I answer with a nod of my head. "Draco, you've been by my side for two days straight now, and you've been amazing. But I'm sure you could use some fresh air, too. Skylar and I will be fine; you should go out and have a good time." Though he still seems skeptical, Draco nods his head in agreement with what I'm saying.

Taking that as a 'yes', Lucius gets to his feet. "Well, we should both go get dressed, then," he says before walking out of the room.

"Right," Draco says with a sigh. He gets to his feet and leans down, giving me a kiss on the forehead distractedly before following his father into the entrance hall and upstairs. When the two men come back downstairs nearly an hour later, Narcissa and I have relocated to the Drawing Room; I'm lying on the sofa resting while Narcissa sits across the room, feeding Skylar.

Draco enters the room before his father, looking rather sharp, I might add. He's had a shower, donned his best suit, and has combed his platinum hair into its normal, well-groomed style. _I am one lucky witch_, I think to myself as I appraise my future husband's good looks. I smile up at Draco as he crosses the room towards me, but he gives me a worried look instead of smiling in response. "What's wrong, love?" I ask him through our love bond.

"I'm just worried about you two," he replies through his thoughts as he kneels beside the sofa I'm lying on.

"Well baby, I'm sure we'll be fine," I reply, "but if it makes you _that _uncomfortable, you don't _have _to go."

"I don't _want _to go," he replies, "I want to stay here with you two. But you _told _me to go; I thought you didn't _want _me to stay here. The way you said I'd been by your side for two days made me feel like I'm smothering you."

"What?" I ask, pushing up onto my hands. "No, love, not at all! I just meant that I didn't want you to feel like you _had _to stay if you didn't want to."

"Oh," Draco replies, blushing slightly. "I guess I misunderstood you."

"It's okay, love," I reply, "but you should know that I'll _never _want you to leave; you can't smother someone who can't get enough of you." At this, Draco smiles widely.

"I know, baby," he says happily. "I don't know what came over me; I was being ridiculous. Maybe I had a little _too much _sleep last night." At this, Lucius, who has also had a shower and gotten dressed, enters the room and interrupts our mental conversation without even realizing he has.

"Are you ready to go, son?" he asks Draco curiously. Draco immediately looks upset; he's clearly torn about the decision.

"What are you going to do, love?" I ask patiently.

"I don't know," he replies. "I don't want to go, but I all ready told Father I would."

"Well it's up to you," I reply. "I'm sure your father would understand if you changed your mind."

"Draco," Lucius interrupts, "I asked you if you're ready to go."

"Coming, Father," Draco replies, having made up his mind. "I guess I'll go with him, love, since I told him I would," he mentally replies to me. I can't help but note the hint of reluctance in his voice.

"Okay, love," I reply, "have fun."

"I'll be back soon, I promise," he says sweetly, "and please let me know if you need me."

"I will, darling," I reassure him. At this, Draco gets to his feet and gives me a kiss on the forehead before walking across the room and kissing Skylar, who's still in Narcissa's arms. Once he's done that, he tells me he loves ne and then he and his father leave the Drawing Room and walk outside, Diagon Alley-bound.

Narcissa and I keep ourselves occupied for a while by cooing over Skylar. When he falls asleep a short while later, though, we both simply sit in silence watching him. That is, until Narcissa looks up at me curiously and calls my attention to the wet spot on the front of my shirt. "Oh, Merlin!" I exclaim, blushing violently as I frantically try to cover the embarrassing sight. I immediately get to my feet and start walking towards the stairs, with my hands cupping my breasts, which are extremely sore today.

Sensing my uneasiness, Narcissa carefully places Skylar in his bassinette and hurries to catch up with me, reaching me just before I start climbing the stairs. "Now, now," she says soothingly, placing a hand on my shoulder as a means of both comforting me and restraining me. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about," she continues, "it happens to all new mothers. You knew this was coming, dear, Mrs. Taylor warned you about it." I know that Narcissa's right; Mrs. Taylor _did _warn me about this. So why am I getting so upset about it? Why are there tears quickly building up in the corners of my eyes? I'm extremely thankful that Draco wasn't here to see this; Narcissa sees the tears and pulls me close to her, hugging me tightly. She allows me to sob onto her shoulder for a moment, but then she releases me and tells me to pull myself together.

"Come on now, dear," she says, "I'm going to help you upstairs to the bathroom, and we'll get this mess cleaned up." Still sniffling slightly, I nod my head on agreement and Narcissa and I begin the long trek up to mine and Draco's bedroom on the third floor. She keeps her arms around my waist the entire time as a means of support, so I don't over-exert myself. We get up to mine and Draco's bedroom without a problem, and Narcissa ushers me into our bathroom, which she's all ready stocked with supplies for events such as these. "Now then, take off your shirt while I get the supplies," she instructs.

I tediously pull the shirt I'm wearing over my throbbing breasts and abandon it on the floor, and Narcissa rummages around in the bathroom cabinets for a moment before straightening up with two breast pads in her hands. "These are another helpful trick, or maybe I should call them 'lifesavers', for new mothers," she says. "They're bewitched with an automatic drying spell, and a super-absorption spell. All you have to do is wear these inside your bra and you'll never have to worry about another incident like this one."

"Really?" I ask, unable to disguise the dry sobs that escape my throat.

"Yes," she replies sweetly. "Now, just put these inside your bra." So, reluctantly and very painfully, I slip the inserts into my bra, and can immediately tell a difference. Once that's taken care of, Narcissa uses her wand to dry up the stain on my shirt, and she offers it to me so I can put it back on. I, however, have just had a thought.

"Um… Narcissa?" I begin.

"Yes, dear, what is it?" she asks.

"I was wondering…" I continue, "Can I take a shower?"

"Oh, of _course _you can!" she says sweetly. I breathe a sigh of relief and smile at her in response. "Pinky," she calls, causing the house elf to appear with a _'Pop'._

"Yes, madam?" Pinky asks eagerly.

"I want you to go downstairs and keep an eye on Skylar for me so I can help Jayde get a shower. Let me know if he wakes up or cries." Pinky's eyes widen at her assignment; it's easy to see that she feels very honored to have been given such an important task.

"Yes ma'am," she replies before disapparating with a huge smile on her face.

"Now then," Narcissa continues, "let's get you a towel and some clothes." She flicks her wand, causing the said items to appear in her hand, and then sets them on the counter by the bathroom sink. Then she walks over to the shower and turns on the water for me, testing it out with the bare skin of her forearm to make sure it isn't too hot or too cold. When she feels she's got the water temperature just right, she turns around and starts helping me out of my remaining clothes.

By the time I'm completely naked I'm starting to feel very awkward, but I'm also extremely grateful to Narcissa for all her help; she's done a lot for me over the past few months, and even more over the past few days. In fact, she hasn't been acting like a mother-in-law; she's been acting how a mother would towards her own daughter; how Ms. Fitzpatrick acted towards me before she died. Thinking this way makes me miss my deceased guardian terribly; I really wish she could have been here for the birth of my son. I decide that I need to stop thinking this way, though, and concentrate fully on taking a shower. Narcissa helps me into the shower, and then pulls the curtain closed behind me. She has a seat on top of the closed toilet lid, trying to stay as close as possible in case I need her help.

Once inside the shower, I allow the luke-warm water to rain down on me for a moment, temporarily relieving me of some of my aches and pains. I stand in that same spot for a few moments, simply soaking, before picking up the washcloth and soap and starting to bathe myself carefully. As I bathe, Narcissa starts talking to me in an effort to keep me company while I shower. She tells me that she remembers how scary all the post-baby body changes can be, and lets me know that I can always come to her if I have any concerns. Now feeling even _more _grateful to her, I tell her how much I appreciate everything she's done for me. She assures me that it's no problem, and when I've finished bathing about twenty minutes later, she helps me out of the shower and uses her wand to quickly dry my body and hair.

Then she helps me don a pair of the maternity clothes I wore when I was just a few months pregnant with Skylar, as well as the other post-baby products I have to use. I'm thrilled to find that I'm fitting back into some of my 'skinnier' maternity clothes, and Narcissa chuckles as she says that she remembers that feeling, too. I feel clean, refreshed, and slightly less achy as she and I finish up in the bathroom, after which Narcissa slowly guides me back downstairs. As its lunch time by the time she and I reach the Drawing Room, we decide to let Pinky watch Skylar for just a little longer, so we can eat. We enjoy our little 'ladies' luncheon', talking about nearly every topic under the sun; the main topic being the upcoming wedding. After lunch we walk back into the Drawing Room, and _just in time; _Skylar starts crying almost immediately.

Narcissa's fairly sure that he just needs his diaper changed, and offers to take care of it for me, but I summon the necessary supplies with my wand and change the diaper myself. Narcissa and I hear the front door open just as I've finished changing the diaper and have gotten comfortable on the sofa again with Skylar in my arms and Lucius walks into the Drawing Room a moment later, carrying what looks like a thousand shopping bags. I find the sight quite odd and amusing, and Narcissa and I stare at Lucius in quiet curiosity.

"What?" he asks when he notices us staring. "I couldn't go to Diagon Alley and _not _bring something back for the tyke, now could I?" he continues rhetorically. "What kind of grandfather would I be?"

I can't help but laugh out loud at this, and Narcissa just shakes her head. "Lucius, it looks as though you've brought back the _entire _Alley," she says in an astonished tone. Upon further examination of the bags Lucius has just abandoned on the Drawing Room floor, Narcissa notices, as I all ready have, that there's a tiny broom handle sticking out of one of the bags; Lucius has bought Skylar his first broomstick, at the age of _two days old. _

"Merlin's beard!" Narcissa exclaims, "I can't believe you _actually _bought him a broomstick!" Lucius seems a little confused by his wife's reaction and takes a seat next to her on the love seat. "Can you believe this, Jayde?" she asks me.

"Well, he's _your _husband," I say playfully.

Narcissa just laughs in response, and she and I are distracted a moment later by the sound of the front door opening again. I look towards the Drawing Room door with a smile on my face, and am completely flabbergasted when Draco walks through it, carrying just as many, if not more bags than Lucius had. My eyes widen and my mouth drops open, but Draco seems not to have noticed. He also abandons his bags on the floor and walks over to where I'm sitting, kissing me on the forehead before doing the same to Skylar, who's lying in my arms.

"Jayde," Narcissa calls, drawing my attention towards her. I look up to find that she's pointing at Draco's pile of bags, and as I look, I discover with shock that there's a tiny broom handle sticking out of one of _his _bags as well; _Draco got Skylar a toy broom, too! _

"_You _got him a broom, too?" I ask incredulously, causing Draco to give me the same confused look Lucius gave Narcissa earlier.

"Well, he's _your _husband… almost," his mother replies playfully.

* * *

**Author's Note: See? I told you it wouldn't be so long this time! :-) I really hope you enjoyed it; this is the second-to-last chapter in this novel. Speaking of which, I am considering renaming this one, so that the title fits with the first novel more. I'd like for this series to be called the "Amortentia" series, so I'm thinking of renaming this story 'Amortentia's Gift'. After all, the title 'Becoming Mrs. Malfoy' doesn't really fit anymore, since the wedding won't take place until the next one. Your ideas and opinions will be greatly appreciated; let me know what you think!**


	34. Chapter 34 Game Plan

Over the course of the next hour, Draco and Lucius empty their bags from Diagon Alley, showing Narcissa and I all the things they bought. They've bought all sorts of toys for Skylar that he won't be able to use for at least a year, as well as infant-sized Quidditch uniforms and Slytherin robes. Narcissa and I just shake our heads and chuckle at the duo's purchases. Apparently, though, their spoiling didn't end with all the things they bought Skylar; Draco's bought a few things for me, and Lucius has done the same for Narcissa.

The men shower us with flowers and chocolates, and Draco's even bought me a beautiful silver bracelet with a small heart charm on it that matches the necklace he bought me a while back. I thank him with the best kiss I can manage since Skylar's still in my arms, and the Malfoys and I remain in the Drawing Room for a while longer, talking about the day's activities and Draco and Lucius' shopping adventure in Diagon Alley today. I'm surprised when the doorbell rings, and even more surprised when one of the maids leads Draco's extended family members into the room. His aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandmother have arrived as a special surprise to eat dinner and spend the evening with us and the newest member of their family.

I note that this doesn't seem to come as a surprise to Lucius and Narcissa, and I realize they must have planned all this yesterday after Draco and I went to bed. When the maids announce that dinner is ready, I tuck my sleeping infant snugly into his bassinette as the Malfoys and I prepare to go into the Dining Room, and Narcissa once again charges Pinky with the task of watching over him and alerting us if he needs anything. Lucius doesn't seem to like this suggestion; he's being a little overprotective and apparently doesn't trust Pinky to keep a good enough watch over his grandson. He offers to bring the bassinette into the Dining Room with us, but Narcissa reminds him that all the chatter at the table is certain to wake the child, and this quiets him into compliance.

Once seated in the Dining Room and eating heartily, the entire Malfoy family bursts into chatter about various subjects. The women, myself included, talk happily about the details of the upcoming wedding, while the men discuss Quidditch and how Skylar's going to be an _excellent _player when he gets older. I can't help but overhear one part of the men's conversation because I find it to be _hilarious_; when Draco and Lucius tell Maximus that they both bought Skylar a toy broom, Maximus comments that he wanted to buy one for Skylar as well, but Tracy wouldn't let him. My outburst of raucous laughter at this statement makes all the women curious and draws their attention away from their conversation about wedding attire.

When I explain to them what I just overheard, and Narcissa tells Tracy and Draco's grandmother that both her son _and_ husband bought Skylar a toy broom, the rest of the women burst out laughing as well. At this, the two separate conversations going on at the table merge into one, and the rest of dinner is spent in a mixed-sex discussion of Quidditch and the wedding.

After dinner, we all return to the drawing room once more, where Draco's grandmother and his aunt Tracy take turns holding Skylar, who woke shortly after we returned to the room. Draco's extended family leaves just before ten o'clock, after which Draco and I decide to call it a night. Draco asks Pinky to carry me upstairs to our room while he gets Skylar ready for bed, and a short while later I'm in my pajamas and lying down, waiting for Draco to come to bed after he gets Skylar to sleep. He enters a few moments later and immediately climbs into bed and cuddles up with me underneath the covers. I lay my head on his chest after he kisses my forehead and tells me goodnight, and I fall asleep almost immediately, only to once again be woken by Skylar in the wee hours of the morning.

Draco again isn't awoken by the baby's cries, and I ease myself out of bed as quickly as possible to keep Skylar from waking his father. I once again enter the nursery and change and feed Skylar, but this time the infant is a little less cooperative when I sit in the rocking chair and try to sing him to sleep. What seems like hours later, the baby finally gives in to his sleepiness, and I place him in his crib before making my way back into mine and Draco's bedroom. It's near dawn when I finally lay back down and pull the covers up around me, taking care not to wake Draco, who's slept soundly throughout the entire ordeal. It feels like I've only _just _fallen back asleep when Draco wakes me for breakfast a while later, but though I'm very tired and grumpy, I find falling back asleep to be an impossible task.

Draco and I bring Skylar downstairs with us, and we join Lucius and Narcissa for breakfast once more. As we eat, however, I have to battle my heavy eyelids to keep them open. Still oblivious to the fact that I got very little sleep last night, Draco assumes I'm still tired from the birth-giving process and tells me to lie on the sofa in the drawing room while he feeds Skylar; he says he thinks I'm over-exerting myself and just need to rest. Thankful for the sweet and thoughtful gesture, I happily lie on the sofa, but once again find that sleep won't come to me for some reason. It probably has something to do with the fact that Skylar starts crying occasionally, alerting Draco to his various needs. My eyes immediately pop open at the sound each time, and I sit up to make sure Skylar's being attended to. Each time Draco urges me to lie back down. He insists that he can handle it, and I believe him, but for some reason that doesn't make it any easier for me to ignore Skylar's crying.

It feels to me like I'm developing undeniable and un-ignorable maternal instincts that draw me towards my crying child like a magnet to a refrigerator; the reaction is compulsory. Most of today is spent in the same manner as yesterday, with the only difference being that Lucius and Draco are _here _instead of at Diagon Alley. I don't manage to get any more sleep, causing me to be slightly more irritable than usual. This irritability does nothing to help the discomfort I'm in; in fact it only makes me more aware of the aches in my body and the soreness of my breasts. Though Draco and his parents converse during dinner, I remain silent.

I'm extremely grateful when Draco suggests that we go to bed early tonight, and I nearly fall asleep _before _my head hits the pillow. I sleep for slightly longer this time, but am once again awoken in the wee hours of Saturday morning by the sound of Skylar crying from the nursery next door. Though I know I should probably wake Draco to take care of him so I can catch up on my sleep, those maternal instincts won't seem to let me, and I once again make my way into the nursery. Though extremely tired, I can't help but smile as I hold the infant in my arms; he's the most precious thing I've ever seen and is _definitely _worth the lack of sleep. _After all_, I think to myself, _all new mothers go through this. Becoming a mother is a truly rewarding experience; I think I can handle this slight down-side._

As I continue to rock and sing to Skylar until nearly dawn once more, however, that happiness and serenity begins to fade somewhat, brought about by my body's deprivation of the much-needed, restorative sleep. The sun has all ready began to rise by the time I crawl back into bed, and I don't even bother to pull the covers up around me as I flop down, falling asleep almost instantly. Draco tries to wake me for breakfast a short while later, but I tell him I'll eat later and remain in bed. He seems concerned but gives me a kiss on the forehead and tells me to rest before leaving the room. I'm able to get about another hour's sleep before Narcissa enters the room, waking me up to inform me that Mrs. McGreggor has just arrived. I'm still very sleepy but force myself to get out of bed; it's not every day I get to see my former headmistress and Skylar's Godmother.

Narcissa helps me change clothes quickly and then escorts me downstairs, and I walk into the kitchen to greet Mrs. McGreggor, smiling and trying to present a pleasant demeanor despite my grumpy tiredness. I find the middle-aged Irish witch holding and feeding her godson and take my usual seat beside Draco at the breakfast table. Mrs. McGreggor can tell that I'm exhausted as soon as she lays eyes on me, but I insist to her and the Malfoys that I'm fine. After breakfast, Mrs. McGreggor, Narcissa and I spend a great deal of the day discussing my bridal shower, trying to come up with a good date as well as a guest list. During this time, Draco and Lucius look after Skylar. Mrs. McGreggor remains at Malfoy Manor until well after dinner, at which point she returns to Ireland with the promise of returning to Malfoy manor tomorrow to continue the Bridal Shower planning.

Draco and I go to bed shortly after eleven, and Skylar once again wakes me, but this time it's a little later in the morning; in fact it's nearly dawn. Thankfully he falls back asleep almost immediately this time, and I'm able to get a little more rest than I have the past few nights. That extra rest, however, still doesn't completely quench my body's thirst for sleep, and I remain tired throughout the day Sunday as Narcissa, Mrs. McGreggor and I once again busy ourselves with bridal shower plans while Draco and Lucius take care of Skylar. While we're discussing possible dates for the shower, Narcissa suggests Saturday, January fifteenth. Draco, who's sitting across the room feeding Skylar at the time, chimes in on this note. "I think that's a great idea, Mum," he says enthusiastically. "That's just after Jayde's birthday."

"Really?" his mother asks, looking to me to confirm his statement.

"Yes," I reply shortly, "my birthday's January tenth."

"Oh, that gives a brilliant idea!" Narcissa replies excitedly. "Why don't we throw Jayde's shower _on_ her birthday?" she asks. "It could be like a double party; a bridal shower - slash birthday party!" Mrs. McGreggor says she loves the idea, but Draco speaks up once more.

"That won't work," he says quietly.

"And why not?" Narcissa asks, sounding slightly offended. Draco gives me an apprehensive look and hesitates before answering; it seems almost as though he doesn't want me to know why Narcissa's idea won't work.

"Because I've got something special planned for Jayde's birthday," he says simply. I give him a strange, curious look when he says this, but he simply smiles at me and looks back down at Skylar in an effort to keep me from figuring out his plans. I can't help but wonder what he could possibly have planned two months in advance, but Narcissa and Mrs. McGreggor distract me by bringing up the party's guest list once more.

The duo and I work out quite a few details of the party during the day, and decide that the party _will _be held January fifteenth. Mrs. McGreggor once again stays with us through dinner, but she leaves much earlier tonight as tomorrow's Monday and she's got to be back at Dunamase when classes resume.

Draco and I go to bed a little earlier tonight as well, which is very fortunate because Skylar once again returns to what seems to be his habit of waking up around four a.m on Monday morning. He once again fights sleep furiously as I try to lull him into dream-land, and he finally falls back asleep around six-thirty. I sleep until eight a.m. when Draco wakes me for breakfast, and he, Skylar and I join Lucius and Narcissa in the Dining Room once more.

Despite my sleepiness, Monday passes fairly uneventfully; until Skylar's umbilical cord falls off that evening while Draco and I are giving him a bird-bath, that is. Though Draco and I knew this was coming, it's completely unexpected and nearly scares us senseless. Draco frantically runs to fetch his mother, who comes in and reassures us that everything's fine before laughing at our near-catastrophe. She says that she remembers worrying over everything when Draco was first born, too. Draco and I go to bed shortly after the bathroom incident, even though it's still fairly early, because we've got to be up early Tuesday morning to take Skylar to St. Mungo's for his one-week check-up.

Draco and I find it hard to believe that our little Skylar-bean is all ready one week old as we lie in bed Monday night waiting for sleep to come; we have a new, first-hand look at just how fast time flies. I yawn constantly the next morning through breakfast and as we're getting ourselves and Skylar ready for the trip to St. Mungo's, for _once again _the infant woke me up around three a.m. and practically refused to go back to sleep until the sun had nearly risen. Since Lucius went back to work today from his grand-paternity leave, Narcissa, Draco, Skylar and I arrive at St. Mungo's right on time for our appointment, and Mrs. Taylor calls us into an examination room almost immediately.

Once we're inside, she performs several spells and takes Skylar's one-week measurements while asking us how this first week has gone. Finally, she examines the spot where his umbilical cord fell off last night thoroughly. When she's finished her examination, she tells us she's happy to report that Skylar's coming along nicely. She tells us that we can give him a proper bath as soon as we're ready, and reminds us of the parenting class we took in which we learned the proper baby-bathing procedure. When she's finished talking and turns around, Draco and I assume that Skylar's appointment is over and Draco takes Skylar into his arms as we prepare to leave, but Narcissa stops us. "I don't think she's done yet," Draco's mother informs us, causing us to sit still once more.

"Indeed, I'm _not _finished" Mrs. Taylor says with her back towards us as she fidgets with something on the countertop across the room. Curious as to what else has to be done, I furrow my eyebrows and stare at Mrs. Taylor's back, wondering what she's got in her hands. Draco, who's also wondering the same thing, makes his question known.

"What else do you have to do, Mrs. Taylor?" he asks.

"I've got to give Skylar his first shot; the dragon pox vaccine," she says matter-of-factly. At this, she turns around and reveals what's in her hands; a needle.

I immediately feel wary of what's about to happen. Though I know Skylar _needs _this shot to stay healthy, I honestly don't want _anyone, _not even Mrs. Taylor, coming near him with something that I _know _will cause him pain. Draco senses my uneasiness and gives me a reassuring look. I find myself unable to watch as Mrs. Taylor gets closer to Skylar, who's still in Draco's arms. The infant is looking around curiously, without a clue as to what's about to happen. I hear Mrs. Taylor tell Draco to hold Skylar still, and a silent tear rolls down my cheek as I wait for the screams I'm _sure _are about to start.

Sure enough, once the needle has pierced Skylar's tiny arm, he starts crying uncontrollably, clearly in pain and terrified. Suddenly finding the instinct to soothe my child more powerful than my revulsion to seeing him in pain, I turn around and kiss him on the forehead, trying to calm him. Draco pats his back gently as well, but when our efforts don't work, I extend my arms for Draco to hand him to me. Once he's in my arms, I rock the infant back and forth gently and whisper to him, telling him everything's going to be all right. That, however, doesn't work either.

Narcissa offers Draco Sky's pacifier from his diaper bag, which we brought with us, but Skylar refuses that as well and continues crying. Mrs. Taylor, having disposed of the needle she used, walks back over to where I'm standing with Skylar in my arms and tries to shush him as well, apologizing to the infant for scaring him, but insisting that it had to be done. I know that what Mrs. Taylor's saying is true; the shot was necessary, but little Skylar can't comprehend that and continues wailing despite mine and Draco's continued efforts to calm him.

Mrs. Taylor walks back over to the counter and starts scribbling notes on Skylar's medical charts, and when she's finished she speaks over Skylar's continued sobs and tells us that we're free to leave. She says we'll have to come back at the same time next week, but promises us that Sky won't need any more shots for a while. Draco and I are very thankful for that, and we start making our way out of the examination room almost immediately, trying to hurry up and get Skylar home in the hopes that we'll be able to get him to stop crying.

Several expectant mothers and mothers with newborns eye us curiously as we make our way into the reception area. Some of them offer suggestions on how to get him to stop crying, while others murmur things like, "Bless his heart." Once we've all reached our apparition spot inside the reception area, Draco, Narcissa, and I immediately apparate back to the gates outside Malfoy Manor. I walk as quickly as I can into the house with Skylar still in my arms, and when we get inside I have a seat in the Drawing Room and start singing to him. When that doesn't work, the only other thing I can think of that might calm him is food.

So while I continue to gently rock Skylar back and forth, Narcissa helps Draco make him a bottle and get it heated to just the right temperature. Draco brings it over to me, and as soon as I press the bottle to Skylar's lips he falls silent and starts sucking furiously. Narcissa, Draco and I all breathe a sigh of relief and Draco takes a seat beside me on the sofa, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and watching as I continue to feed the baby. Skylar starts fussing again when I remove the bottle from his mouth to burp him, but once I return the bottle to his mouth he falls silent once more. He falls asleep a short while after eating, and Draco and I take him upstairs and lay him in his crib.

The two of us go downstairs and watch a film on the slide projector while he sleeps, and when he wakes a few hours later he's crying non-stop once more. He remains fussy for the majority of the rest of the day, causing Draco and I to worry that he may be getting ill or having some sort of reaction to the shot Mrs. Taylor gave him. After we've eaten dinner, Narcissa suggests that Draco and I give Skylar his first bath; she says that baths _always _calmed Draco down and put him straight to sleep when he was a baby. Out of ideas, we decide to give it a try and hope for the best.

We go up to the bathroom inside the nursery and fill Skylar's tiny baby bathtub, and Narcissa oversees the process as we undress the baby and place him in the mild-temperature water. When his naked bottom first touches the water, Skylar seems a bit surprised and curious, but it only takes him a few seconds to figure out what he thinks about this odd experience. And unfortunately, Skylar _doesn't_ seem to like water as much as his father was when he was an infant; he starts crying all over again. I quickly but carefully get through the bathing process while Draco makes sure Skylar's head is supported, and then I place a towel on Draco's shoulder. He brings the infant to his shoulder and wraps the towel around him, and once he's done so I help him dry Skylar off.

Thankfully, Skylar's _so _happy to be out of the water that he actually stops crying, and Draco and I notice his eyelids beginning to droop as we dress him in a tiny pair of green pajamas Lucius bought him at Diagon Alley the other day. The baby's asleep less than an hour after his bath, for which Draco and I are very thankful. Emotionally and physically exhausted, we go to bed immediately after placing Skylar in his crib.

Since Skylar was in bed a little earlier tonight than usual, he also wakes up a little earlier than usual; around two in the morning. I do everything in my power, but Skylar stays awake until five a.m. Once he falls back asleep, I place him in his crib and turn to head back towards mine and Draco's bedroom. I quickly find, however, that I don't even have enough strength left to make it to the nursery door, and I flop back down in the rocking chair instead. I tell myself several times that I'll get up in just a moment and walk the rest of the way to the bedroom, but eventually end up falling asleep right there in the rocking chair. When I wake up to the sound of Skylar crying again, I'm startled to find Narcissa leaning over me with concern when I open my eyes.

"Jayde, dear," she asks, "did you sleep in here all night?"

Looking around at the room and glancing the sun's rays filtering in through the curtains, I mumble, "Mhmm," indistinctly. Then, hearing Skylar's continued cries, I open my eyes in an effort to make myself more alert and push up with my hands, easing myself out of the rocking chair. I make my way over to the crib and take Skylar out, and he stops crying the moment I pick him up. Deciding that he's probably hungry, I flick my wand and cause a pre-made bottle to appear in my hand, which I immediately start feeding him.

"How long has Skylar been keeping you up all night?" Narcissa asks knowingly as she watches me feed him.

"All week," I reply quietly.

"Well for Merlin's sake, why haven't you said anything?" she asks. "Draco, Lucius or I could have looked after him so you could rest. You'll never fully heal from the birth if you don't get enough sleep."

"I was all ready awake," I reply in a monotone, "there was no need to wake you all up, too."

"Well I'm awake _now, _Narcissa replies. "Here, give Skylar to me; I'll finish feeding him. _You _go _straight _back to bed."

"I'm fine," I reply, "I've got him."

"No, you're _not _fine," she responds, "you look like a zombie – no offense intended. You do _trust _me to take care of Sky, don't you?"

"Of _course _I do, Narcissa!" I exclaim as I give her a pleading look, silently begging her not to take this so personally.

"Well then what's the problem?" she asks, "Why do you insist on trying to do _everything _yourself? It's impossible to care for a child all on your own, _especially _in your weakened physical state. It's wearing you out; I can tell just by _looking _at you! Why won't you let me help you so you can get some rest?"

"Because Skylar needs me!" I reply in an exasperated tone.

"No, what Skylar needs is for _someone _to look after him. _I _can do that for you until you've had enough rest," Narcissa replies. "Now, tell me again; why won't you let me help you? And don't tell me it's because Skylar needs you; I've just offered you a solution to that problem."

"You're right, Narcissa," I reply, finally realizing something for the first time. "It's not because Skylar needs me; it's because _I _need _him." _Narcissa's eyebrows furrow at my statement and she immediately asks me what I mean. "I'm scared to look away or close my eyes for _one second… _I'm scared that when I turn back around, he'll be gone. _He's_… he's the only family I've got left…," I reply as I stare up into her eyes.

Narcissa's facial features immediately soften at my confession, and she walks forward and gets down on her knees in front of the rocking chair. "Oh Jayde," she says sweetly, placing a comforting hand on my knee. "I know it must be difficult for you, never knowing your parents," she continues, "and I know you don't have any _blood _relatives left, other than Skylar. But _we're _your family now; Draco, Lucius and I. And Skylar's our family, too; we'd never let _anything _happen to you _or him_. You know that, don't you?"

Near tears and feeling the sting of a lump forming in my throat, I simply nod my head in response. "Well what are you worried about, then?" Narcissa asks with a cheerful tone in her voice. "Get some sleep! He'll still be _right here _when you wake up!"

Realizing that she's right, I feel relief wash over me like a wave. Chuckling at the expression on Narcissa's face, I extend my Skylar-laden arms to her and allow her to take the child and the bottle from me before easing myself out of the rocking chair. Smiling from ear to ear, Narcissa tells me to get some rest and _not to worry _as she gets to her feet and takes my place in the rocking chair as I make my way out of the nursery. I walk into mine and Draco's bedroom and head straight for my side of the bed, laying down and snuggling up close to Draco. Out of pure exhaustion, I fall asleep almost immediately.

I sleep for quite a while, and wake up feeling refreshed and _very _well-rested. I'm happy to find that even my mood and level of comfort have improved with sleep, despite my body's post-baby changes. I lie in bed and look around at the room for a moment, curious as to just how long I've slept and what time it is. I glance towards the window at the reddish-orange light of the sun's rays and assume it must be late afternoon, near dusk; I've slept all day. As I continue to lie there, I hear the bedroom door open and look in that direction to find Draco smiling in at me.

"Good, you're awake!" he says cheerfully as he steps into the room, carrying a tray of food with him. I sit up as he approaches the bed and places the tray of food across my lap.

"And _why _am I being served breakfast… or… um… _dinner _in bed?" I ask playfully.

"Because you're the perfect wife and an _amazing _mother to our son," he replies, still smiling.

"Aw, thank you" I reply. Draco leans down and gives me a quick kiss before taking a seat on the bed beside me. Starving, I immediately dig in to the tray he's brought me, and Draco watches while I eat. When I've almost cleared the plate, he speaks.

"Darling, I'm sorry I haven't been waking up when Skylar cries at night; I guess I'm a heavier sleeper than I thought."

"Your mum told you about that?" I ask apprehensively as I look up into his eyes.

"Yes, love," he says quietly, "and I want you to know it won't happen again. I know you don't see the point in waking me if you're all ready awake, and from now on, you won't have to."

_Wow, _I think to myself, _Narcissa told him everything. _

"Draco," I begin, "You don't have anything to apologize for. He's our son and I'll _always _take care of him; even if it _is _three in the morning."

"But you shouldn't be doing it _alone_," he replies. "He's my son, too, and you need your rest. I won't have you over-exerting and exhausting yourself while I sleep. I didn't even _know _he was keeping you up at night, and I feel horrible about it. If I'd known, I'd have taken care of him so you could have slept."

"I know, love," I reply, placing a hand on his tenderly.

"Well that won't be a problem anymore," Draco says proudly. "I've made sure of that."

"How?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows in curiosity.

"I've placed a Sonorus Charm on the nursery. Any sounds coming out of there will be amplified times ten. If the Bean makes _one little peep, _I'll be awake and able to take care of him so you can rest. From now on, your load won't be so huge; we'll share the responsibility. That's the way it's supposed to be. I'd do it _all _for you if I could, but I'll eventually have to go back to work."

"But won't a Sonorus Charm wake your mum and dad, too?" I ask.

"They don't mind," he replies. "In fact, it was my father's idea."

"Oh. Well that's very sweet of them," I reply. Draco just smiles at me in response. Noticing that I've finished eating, he gets to his feet and takes the tray out of my lap.

"I'll be right back, love," he says sweetly. "I'll just take this tray back downstairs. We can play a game of exploding snap when I get back, if you'd like." I smile and nod my head in response, and Draco turns and leaves the room. Just moments later I hear Skylar start crying from the nursery next door and it nearly scares me senseless. Draco's Sonorus Charm _clearly _works; Skylar's crying is indeed amplified. I smile at Draco's odd but sweet effort to lighten the maternal load I've been carrying and immediately get to my feet and head to the nursery. _After all, _I think to myself, _I'm the only family member upstairs at the moment; I might as well go ahead and put an end to Skylar's amplified crying._

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay... this isn't so much an 'Author's Note' as it is an apology. I am _so terribly sorry _that it has taken me _this _long to get this chapter posted. As some of you all ready know, my life has been in a state of upheaval for the past few weeks. First, I moved to a new city so I could go back to college, and it's taken me a bit longer than I expected to get situated and used to my new daily routine. And then, just when everything started settling down, Hurricane Irene struck my state and caused flooding and knocked out electricity for several days. Now that things are _somewhat _back to normal, I will update _much sooner _next time. I am very sorry for keeping you all waiting. **

**Now, as for this chapter, it was _supposed _to be the last chapter in this book. However, the chapter wasn't finished; so instead of making you wait even _longer _for this update, I decided to split the last chapter into two. So the _next _chapter will be the last one in this book, and then I will begin posting the _Third _book in the series, to be entitled _Amortentia's Aftermath. _I hope you can forgive me for my tardiness, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Happy reading!**


	35. Chapter 35 Surprises

As I slowly make my way from mine and Draco's bedroom to the nursery, a cold chill runs down my spine. I shiver and wrap my arms around myself instinctively and then walk through the nursery door. Skylar, who has grown so accustomed to my immediate entrance every time he starts crying, falls silent as soon as he sees me; he seems to have realized that his troubles usually disappear not long after I enter the room.

I lean down carefully and slowly lift 'the Bean' out of his crib and into my arms, and when I'm standing upright again I hug him close to my chest. Looking down and smiling, I speak to him softly. "What's wrong, Sky?" I ask him in a voice barely louder than a whisper. Skylar just stares up at me in response, his eyes full of wonder. Unable to keep myself from thinking how cute my son is, I assume he's hungry and flick my wand and cause a pre-made bottle to appear in my hand.

As soon as the bottle is in my hand, I slowly start making my way over to the rocking chair to have a seat while I feed Skylar. Before I reach the chair, however, I hear a loud crashing noise that sounds a lot like glass breaking. The noise startles me so much that I jerk involuntarily and gasp loudly, and little Skylar, who is frightened by both the noise _and_ by my reaction to it, starts wailing.

Though I'm curious as to what the sound was, my first priority is to calm my child, and I immediately begin doing so. When shushing him doesn't work, I put the bottle into his mouth, and he immediately falls silent and starts eating ravenously. Having taken care of the 'Skylar' situation, I'm now free to investigate what caused that loud noise Skylar and I just heard. As I walk towards the nursery door with Skylar still in my arms sucking on his bottle, I realize that the sound was probably caused by one of the maids or house elves. _They were probably on this floor cleaning and dropped some sort of glass object, and it broke_, I tell myself. I realize when I reach the doorway to the nursery and look out into the hallway, however, that this was not the case.

Towards the end of the hallway, I notice several large shards of broken glass lying on the hallway floor. My eyebrows furrow at the sight, and now several new ideas of what could have been broken begin flying through my mind. As I'm still halfway inside the nursery, my view is obstructed by the door frame, so I take a step out into the hallway in an attempt to get a better view of the glass shards to determine where they came from. As soon as I step out into the hallway, however, I immediately begin to wish I hadn't.

Stepping beyond the nursery's door frame, I turn my neck to the right to witness a terrifying sight; there's a rather sinister looking man standing at the end of the hallway in front of a broken window, amidst all the broken glass shards. My eyes widen in terror and I immediately get the uneasy feeling that this man means me harm. He stares directly at me with an evil smirk on his face, and I can't help but notice the ripped places and sporadic blood stains on his dirty clothes. The man's hair and scruffy beard are brown and wild, as are his eyes. As he and I continue to stare at each other, I feel the overwhelming urge to run. My feet however, remain glued to the spot; I'm frozen in terror.

A million different possible scenarios run through my head in the few seconds of eerie silence that pass between us, and none of them are good. Just as I begin to wonder if I should ask the evil-looking man what he wants, he opens his mouth and speaks to me in a deep, raspy voice. "So it _is _true," he says matter-of-factly. "The Malfoy family _does indeed _have a new member." Startled by the man's strange statement, I gather my bravery and respond.

"Wh… What are you doing here?" I ask him, unable to hide the terror in my voice. The stranger smiles evilly and chuckles at my question, rubbing his chin with his hand thoughtfully. I can't help but notice that his teeth look rather pointy as he smiles.

"It's really quite simple," he replies darkly a moment later. "I want the child. Give him to me, and I'll let you live."

Now having more than just the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach to suggest that this strange man means to do harm, my heart fills with dread. _There's no way this man will ever get Skylar from me_, I tell myself. I consider running, but realize the man would probably catch me very quickly in my weakened post-baby body. I think of calling out to Draco through our love bond, but feel certain that this would only ensure _his _death, along with mine. Seeing no other alternative, I take a large step backwards into the nursery with the infant still cradled in my arms and sucking on his bottle obliviously.

Making a futile attempt at closing the door behind me, I gasp and jump away quickly as the man thrusts it open and steps into the room, flashing an evil smile as he closes the door behind himself. Suddenly remembering something I hadn't before now, I speak to the man loudly, knowing that Draco and Lucius will be able to hear me due to the Sonorus Charm Draco's placed on the room. "Please, just leave us alone," I plead. The man merely chuckles in response and continues to draw closer to Skylar and I. "What do you want?" I continue, now certain that I've got Draco's attention, "Who are you?"

"That's enough of your stalling," the stranger replies gruffly. "Give me the boy."

"No!" I scream. Frustrated, the man reaches forward and extends his hands towards my arms in an effort to pry the baby from my grasp. Panicking, I do everything in my power to keep Skylar out of the man's reach. I gasp loudly and call out for Draco. Almost immediately, there's a loud noise and a flash of light from the nursery doorway, causing a sense of relief to rush over me.

The man before me barely has time to turn around and react to the noise, and then he falls flat on his face; Lucius, who's standing next to Draco in the doorway with his wand drawn, has apparently cast a Full-Body Bind Curse upon the intruder. He leaves the curse upon the man just long enough so that Draco can use his wand to conjure up iron chains to wrap the man in, and then he lifts the curse. Immediately after he's imprisoned the man within the iron chains, Draco frantically hurries into the room, coming to the corner where I'm cowering with Skylar in my arms. Abandoning his wand on the floor carelessly at my feet, he places his hands tenderly on the sides of my face.

"Are you all right?" he asks, panic evident in his voice and in his widened, terror-stricken eyes. Still in shock, I simply stare into his face but don't answer him as silent tears start to pour from my eyes. My silence only serves to frighten Draco even more; "Are you all right?" he asks again. "Are you hurt? Is Skylar hurt? Darling, _please_ answer me!" Hearing the concern in Draco's voice serves as a catalyst to pull me out of my trance-like state, and I nod my head and exhale slowly.

"I'm fine…" I finally reply, barely louder than a whisper. "We're both fine." Hearing this, Draco breathes a sigh of relief and wraps his arm around me, pulling myself and the baby resting in my arms into a careful embrace. With my head now resting against my fiancé's comforting shoulder, the full horror of the situation hits me, and I start sobbing loudly.

"There there, love," Draco says soothingly in my ear, "it's all right; I'm here."

"Who is he? What does he want?" I wail in response.

"I don't know love," Draco replies, "but I mean to find out." At this, he releases me from his embrace and stoops to pick up his wand before addressing the chained-up stranger in a menacing tone. "Who sent you?" he asks. "Why are you here?" Instead of answering, the man, who's still laying face-down on the nursery floor, starts chuckling in response.

A few seconds later he says plainly, "You'll never know."

Clearly dissatisfied with that answer, Draco flicks his wand and shouts "CRUCIO!" loudly. Immediately, the man starts writhing in agony, clearly in the most horrible pain he's ever experienced in his life. Draco and Lucius, who has just crossed the room to stand next to his son during the interrogation, seem unaffected by the man's condition, and Draco keeps him under the Cruciatus Curse for what seems like a lifetime. The man cries out in anguish, begging for the torture to stop. Skylar is frightened by all the noise and stops drinking his bottle, choosing to cry loudly instead. I, however, barely hear him; my eyes and mind are focused on the squirming stranger on the floor suffering Draco's wrath.

Though I understand _why _Draco is torturing the man, this is the first time I've seen him use an unforgiveable curse, and it's thoroughly shocking. Furthermore, this is the first time I've seen the Cruciatus Curse used; its effects are truly as horrific as I've learned in school. Though I was terrified of him only moments ago, I start to pity the man, and find it impossible to pry my eyes away from his terrified face. Narcissa, who'd been standing just inside the nursery door until this point, senses my uneasiness.

"Draco, stop!" she cries. Draco and Lucius appear not to have heard her; they simply continue staring down watching the man on the floor writhe in pain. Narcissa yells loudly, "That's enough!", but her husband and son remain oblivious to her pleas. Finally, she crosses the room and places a hand on Draco's shoulder and shakes him violently. "For Merlin's sake, Draco!" she yells as she continues to shake him, "STOP RIGHT THIS INSTANT! Do you even realize what this is doing to Jayde? You're frightening her!"

At the mention of my name, Draco ends the stranger's torture and both he and Lucius automatically turn their heads in my direction. Noticing the look of horror that is etched upon my face, Draco softens his expression and walks back over to me. His now calm and peaceful demeanor eases my fears, and even Skylar is more at peace now that the stranger is no longer screaming in pain. When Draco's standing directly in front of me, he caresses the right side of my face with his left hand, and I find myself amazed at just how quickly he can transform from angry, protective torturer to loving, caring father and husband. "I'm sorry, love," he says softly. "I shouldn't have done that in front of you; my anger got the better of me. Please, go downstairs with Mother and Skylar while Father and I finish up here."

Before I can respond to his request, the imprisoned man on the floor speaks up, drawing everyone's attention to him. "Please, no more!" he says, sounding much more weak and much less confident now than he did a moment ago. "I'll tell you everything!" he continues, "Just _please, _no more torture!"

"All right then," Lucius replies, immediately taking the man up on his offer. "Who are you?"

"Davies! Ralph Davies!" the man replies instantly.

"And why are you here? Who sent you?" Draco asks. The strange man called Davies replies much more hesitantly this time, but answers nonetheless.

"Our leader… Gr… Greyback," he finally stutters.

"Filthy werewolf scum!" Lucius says with a snarl, before spitting on the stranger. I suddenly remember the various details about the man that had frightened me; his torn and bloodly clothes and his pointy teeth, and Narcissa and I both gasp at the realization that mine and Skylar's assailant was a werewolf. Draco, however, seems too curious to be shocked right now, and continues questioning the man.

"And what does Greyback want with my wife and child?" he asks, anger and frustration evident in his tone. "This is the _second _time your kind have invaded Malfoy Manor since Jayde arrived," he continues, "Why?"

"I don't know!" werewolf Davies replies, "All I know is that Greyback sent me on this mission… said it was top secret and that I couldn't fail him. He sent me to find out if the Malfoy child had been born, and to try and take it. He's been obsessing over it for _months; _ever since he got word that there was a Nimbimagus in town and she was having young Malfoy's child. The first invasion was purely for information; he said he had to be sure it was the _right _Nimbimagus." My eyebrows furrow at this statement, and I look up to see the same expression on Narcissa's face. Draco and Lucius, however, remain un-fazed.

"But _why _is it so important to him?" Lucius asks angrily.

"I told you, I don't know!" the stranger replies pleadingly, "He won't tell a soul!" An eerie silence follows this statement, which Draco interrupts a moment later to ask another question.

"How did you get in the house?" he asks.

"Through the window," the werewolf replies.

"And how did you get onto the grounds?" Lucius asks in response.

"Apparated," the stranger replies simply.

"You're lying!" Lucius yells at the man. "It is impossible to apparate into or out of the Manor grounds; they're protected by an enchantment with a password which only myself and the Ministry have access to. And the gates and Floo network are protected as well." At this, the werewolf chuckles again.

"You think that's going to stop Fenrir?", he asks. "He's got someone in the Ministry… someone high up in the Auror office. He had him lift the enchantments so I could get in." Seeming enraged, Lucius asks the man to tell him the name of Greyback's accomplice. "Starts with an 'S'… Savage! Yeah, that's it; Savage!" the man replies. Lucius, seeming rather pleased with himself, smirks in response.

"Well as soon as I'm finished with you, I promise you your comrade will be next," he says menacingly. Then he raises his wand to cast a spell, but Draco stops him.

"Wait, father!" he cries, "There's something else we need to know." Seeming a bit perturbed but also curious, Lucius lowers his wand. "Greyback," Draco continues, "Does he have any more attacks planned?"

"How could he?" the werewolf replies, "I'm the last one left of the whole pack! And if there's one thing I _do _know about Fenrir Greyback, it's that he's not going to take on any of the dangerous jobs himself; he loves his life of feeding off the weak too much to risk it."

"Good," Lucius says to Draco. "We'll just take care of him and then get this whole 'Savage' situation taken care of, and then we won't have to worry about this 'Greyback' business any longer." Draco breathes a quiet sigh of relief at this, and then turns to face me.

"Come on love," he says gently, "Let's get you and Skylar out of here." He wraps an arm around my waist and starts guiding me from the nursery back to our bedroom.

Almost immediately after Draco closes the door behind us, I hear Lucius yell "Avada Kedavra" from the next room, and I can't help but wince at the thought that my almost Father-In-Law has just killed someone. Draco senses my uneasiness and pulls me close to him.

"It's all right, darling," he says sweetly, "We don't have to worry about this anymore; you heard the man… Greyback's not going to try anything else." I feel comforted by Draco's words as we walk over to our bed and have a seat, but I can't fight the feeling that the worst is yet to come.

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, the second book is now officially finished. I was hoping to have the first chapter of the third book up by now, but it's still not quite finished. The book's title will be "Amortentia's Aftermath". If you'd like me to PM you when it is posted, let me know in a review! Thank you all SO much for your continued support and feedback, and I really hope you've enjoyed it! I hope to see you all in book 3!**


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